Yak Jerky (Mao Niu Gan)

Yak jerky is made from the hind leg or loin of plateau-raised yak, cut into strips and air-dried or lightly smoked, then seasoned with Tibetan spices—chilli, Sichuan pepper and salt—producing dark-red, dense, protein-rich strips with serious chew.

On a plateau without refrigeration, air-drying was the natural way to preserve meat; herders hung freshly butchered yak strips in breezy spots to dry, which both preserved the meat and intensified its flavour, a tradition that continues today.

Eaten by tearing off strips and chewing—paired with tsampa or Tibetan noodles or alone as a snack; sold throughout the markets and Barkhor Street shops, it is one of the first things visitors buy as a Lhasa souvenir.

Defined by the purity of high-altitude yak beef, the chewy texture of natural air-drying and the distinctive seasoning of Tibetan spices, every strip carries a scent of plateau sun and wind.