Dining 归档 - China Travel Agency, China Tours 2019

Chamdo Dining

As we all know, Tibetan food is mainly animal by-product, such as beef, lamb, pork, butter and cheese, while vegetables are limited in Tibetan family. In Tibetan people's daily life, tea, fresh milk, and yogurt are indispensable. A variety of cooked wheaten food and staples have been similar to those in any other areas in China, but residents here still keep the habit of having traditional buttered tea, milchigs, pork, beef and mutton.

What to Eat in Qamdo

1. Air Dried Meat(风干肉)

As the staple of herdsmen in Tibet, the food made from mutton or beef is dried by air, nutritious and tasty. To a great extent, air dried meat is the very picture of typical characters of Tibetans – openness, impassioned, and wildness.

2. Cheese(干酪)

There are two kinds of cheeses. One is the substance from milk after being extracted butter. After boiling, it condenses into the solid form before pressing it to the various shapes. The other is done by boiling in the buttermilk before drying it and cutting it into thready or granular shapes.

3. Tsampa(糌粑)

Tsampa is known as the ethnic food of Tibet. Tibetan people may have this everyday. It is usually made of ground barley flour and often mixed with butter or yak butter tea.

4. Beef(牛肉)

Tibetan people's origin is the nomadic tribe, so the cattle and other animals can be seen almost everywhere. So, the beef is the main food in Tibetan people's table. Beef here is much more tasty than beef of other places since cattle here can ramble freely.

5. Mutton(羊肉)

Mutton is another specialty in Qamdo. Honestly speaking, the mutton is also the main food of Tibetan people, which is the same as the beef. The meet of sheep and goat is different, so before you order the dishes, you can tell the restaurant what kind of meat you want to eat.

What to Drink in Qamdo

1. Yogurt(酸奶)

As the semi-solid food after milk fermenting, yogurt is easy to digest. In the meanwhile, as a dairy, it is also rich in nutrition.

2. Tibetan Wine (藏酒)

It is a kind of low wine at twenty to thirty degrees, made from wheat or highland barley after ferment. Fresh and mellow, Markam county and Yadong county is most famous for Tibetan wine.

3. Buttered tea(酥油茶)

It is the main drink of Tibet. In the winter, you can dispel cold. If you feel starved, you can satisfy your hunger; if you are sleepy, buttered tea can assist you in relieve from fatigue. Hospitable Tibetans often entertain guests with this tea, so you are suggested not refusing them, otherwise you are considered impolite.

4. Chong or Highland Barley Wine(青稞酒)

A type of beer made from barley. It is served either at room temperature or very hot.