Especially on the dark days of the year, it takes longer for the body to feel awake and fit for the day. We would like to share a recipe that should be on the breakfast table as the perfect pick-me-up and energy supplier.
Tibetan butter tea has been brewed since the Chinese Tang Dynasty (617 to 907 AD) and is still widely used today as a traditional drink. Fermented black tea, also called pu-erh, is used for the tea, salt and yak butter are used and it is traditionally drunk from a bowl.
The broth-like tea supplies the body with valuable fats and proteins to build a healthy layer of fat that protects against the harsh cold of the highlands. But not only that: it also raises the energy level, provides important antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals, strengthens the heart and prevents constipation. The last point in particular is extremely important, since the Tibetans feed mainly on yak meat.
Even for us who don't live on top of the world, Tibetan butter tea has many advantages, especially for those who don't eat breakfast in the morning. The tea
wakes you up and increases concentration
fills you up for hours if you don't eat carbohydrates
lets our fat metabolism run at full speed. This releases glucagon, which burns our body fat until the next meal
supplies the necessary energy for the brain and mitochondria
immediately warms you from the inside
"One day without Tibetan tea is bad, three days without Tibetan tea is painful." Tibetan proverb
The butter tea is not only drunk for breakfast, but served with practically every meal. In some poorer families, the greasy tea even replaces the entire meal. Guests in particular are always given a bowl of butter tea, which is refilled directly by the host as soon as the guest has taken even a few sips. It is quite common to drink ten or more bowls throughout the day.
Ingredients for 4 cups of Tibetan butter tea
4 pieces of round-pressed fermented black tea, e.g. our organic Tibetan tea from Simalaja®
2 to 3 tablespoons cow butter
2 teaspoons Himalayan salt
1 liter of water
1 to 2 g matcha powder (optional)
Bring 1L of water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan, add Tibetan tea and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Now put butter in a stamp pot (French Press) or similar and pour the brewed tea through a sieve into the pot. Blend for at least 2 minutes by pulling the plunger up and down. This distributes the butter evenly throughout the tea and creates an emulsion.
Tibetan butter tea should be drunk hot, otherwise the fat molecules will settle on the surface and cool down.
Our tip: add 1 to 2 grams of matcha powder to the tea. Matcha contains many amino acids and antioxidants such as carotenes and vitamins A, B, C and E.
You can buy the original and high-quality fermented organic Tibetan tea from Simalaja® directly in our Anckeramic Shop and brew your own Tibetan butter tea!
Either order the originally pressed Tibetan tea, the loose Tibetan tea or the Tibetan tea in bags online.