Description
A traditional tea drunk massively every day by Tibetan ethnic groups in the Himalayas (Sherpa, Tamang etc.). Famous as 'Butter Tea' in JP. Tea (mainly brick black/Pu'er tea) is boiled strong, yak butter (or ghee) and 'salt' are added, and churned violently in a special cylinder to emulsify. Not sweet milk tea, but tastes closer to a 'rich, salty potage soup'.
Restaurants serving Suja (Tibetan Butter Tea)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Black tea(or Pu'er/fermented tea)
- Yak butter(or unsalted butter + dash of milk)
- Rock salt(Salt)
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Boil Tea]: Crumble solid brick tea (or black tea) into a pot, boil thoroughly until dark black.
- [Put in Dongmo (Churn)]: Put boiling tea, massive yak butter (or unsalted butter), and Himalayan rock salt into a long, special wooden cylinder called 'Dongmo'.
- [Churn Violently]: Pump the stick inside vigorously 100+ times to completely emulsify (turn milky white) the butter and tea.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Salt (Saltiness、not sweetness、is the star)
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Add unsalted butter, a dash of milk, and salt to Pu'er tea; churn violently in a blender
Pairing
Tsampa (Roasted barley flour) / Shabaley(Fried meat pie)
Trivia
First-time Japanese panic: 'It's tea but salty and greasy!'. However, in freezing, dry, thin-oxygen environments at 4000m, it functions as the 'ultimate survival drink' supplying salt, hydration, and high-calorie fat (butter) simultaneously, preventing altitude sickness.
Eating tips & etiquette
Pour hot into small shallow bowls to drink. Rather than just drinking, the authentic meal style is putting the staple 'Tsampa' (roasted barley flour) into the bowl and kneading it into balls with this butter tea.
Allergen
Dairy (Yak butter/milk)