Soup · Simmered

Thukpa (Tibetan Noodle Soup)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo: Kirill Tonkikh / Unsplash · Unsplash License

Thukpa is an umbrella term: thenthuk uses flat hand-pulled pieces, while gyathuk, 'Chinese noodles,' uses long thin ones — both are staples of Lhasa teahouses.

Hand-pulled or hand-cut wheat noodles are served in a broth simmered from yak bones and meat, often with vegetables, sold from small teahouses around Lhasa.

Why it's made this way: Yak meat and bone broth reflect the Tibetan plateau's herding economy, and the dish anchors Lhasa's teahouse social culture.