High-Altitude Staple · Butter Tea
Suyoucha (酥油茶) Yak Butter Tea
Photo: Yosomono / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
It's traditionally made in a tall wooden churn, and a good host tops up a guest's bowl after every few sips so it never sits empty.
Suyoucha is a rich, salty tea made by churning brick tea with yak butter and salt, served hot in small bowls at monasteries, homes, and street tea houses across the Tibetan plateau. It's often paired with tsampa, a roasted barley flour eaten alongside it.
Why it's made this way: At high altitude, the fat and salt in butter tea provide quick energy and hydration, making it as practical as it is traditional.
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