Butter Tea

Butter tea is made by vigorously churning brewed brick tea with yak butter and salt until emulsified into a creamy, savoury drink, served piping hot.

Rooted in the ancient Tea-Horse Road trade linking the Tibetan Plateau to inland China, butter tea represents the meeting of Han and Tibetan cultures — brick tea from the interior, butter from the yak, merged into the plateau's defining drink.

Consumed hot, often paired with tsampa or barley flatbread. Offering butter tea to guests is a cornerstone of Tibetan hospitality; refusing a refill is considered impolite.

Rich and buttery with a savoury-salty note that may surprise first-time drinkers, but is highly effective at providing warmth and energy at altitude.