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Butter tea, also known as Bho jha (, "Tibetan tea"), cha süma (, "churned tea", Chinese language: sūyóu chá (), su ja (, "churned tea") in Dzongkha, Cha Su-kan or "gur gur cha" in the Ladakhi language and Su Chya or Phe Chya in the Sherpa language, is a drink of the people in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, East Turkestan, Tibet and western regions of modern-day China and Central Asia. Traditionally, it is made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt, although butter made from cow's milk is increasingly used, given its wider availability and lower cost.
According to legend, a Chinese princess married a king of Tibet which later helped establish trade routes between China and Tibet. These trade routes brought tea into Tibet from China. Later, butter was added to the tea that was brought from China as butter is and was a staple in Tibetan cuisine. Butter Tea: The National Drink of Tibet.
By the 8th century, it was common to drink tea in Tibet. In the 13th century, tea was then used in Tibetan religious ceremonies.Tour, T. (2013, January 9). Tibetan Tea History. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from http://tibettour.zudong.com/tibet-history/tibetan-tea-history.html
Today, butter tea is still prevalent in Tibet, and Tibetans can drink up to 60 small cups of the tea every day.
Another method is to boil water and add handfuls of the tea into the water, which is allowed to steep until it turns almost black. Salt is then added, along with a little soda if wanted. The tea is then strained through a horse-hair or reed colander into a wooden butter churn, and a large lump of butter is added. This is then churned until the tea reaches the proper consistency and transferred to copper pots that sit on a brazier to keep them warm. When a churn is not available, a wooden bowl and rapid stirring will suffice.
Each teapot and cup symbolize the standard of living of each family. A ceramic pot is the most widely used, while those made from copper or bronze may be used by families with a higher standard of living.
The Ganden Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, prepares traditional butter tea for their population of monks each night. During this, they boil several bricks of tea in large cauldrons and use hundreds of kilograms of butter. Each step comes with its own prayer. Once the tea is ready, one monk sounds the gong to let others know the tea is ready.
Nowadays, when tea leaves, yak butter, and wooden butter churns are not available, people often make butter tea using tea bags, different types of butter available in the market, and a blender to churn."Sherpa Butter Tea". Archived from the original on 2017-11-24. Retrieved 2014-01-19. Yak Butter Tea: Tibetan Tea Traditional Drink
According to the Tibetan custom, butter tea is drunk in separate sips, and after each sip, the host refills the bowl to the brim. Thus, the guest never drains his bowl; it is constantly topped up. If the visitor does not wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until the time comes to leave and then drain the bowl. In this way, etiquette is observed and the host will not be offended. Another custom recognized by Tibetans is celebrating the birth of their children a few days after the child's birth to dissolve the bad luck the child brings from its mother's womb. Usually the celebration is attended by the parents' friends and relatives, who bring the child gifts including yak butter tea.Bianmu, Sina (2019). "Chapter 3: Literature Review". Exploring the Symbolic and Socio-cultural Meanings of Yak Butter Tea in Tibet. (Master's Dissertation). Auckland University of Technology.
Tibetan Buddhism is a common practice and due to such beliefs the yak butter used in the tea is held in high regard such as Karma Palmo. The Tibetan monks would consume the butter tea twice a day and on occasion enjoy the beverage with paksuma, a special rice porridge.Samdup, Gekoe, Lobsang. (1996). "Tea and Porridge for 2,500." In B. Harris & H. Wardle (Eds.), Tibetan voices: a traditional memoir (p. 65). Pomegranate Artbooks. .
Butter tea is also used for eating tsampa by pouring onto it, or dipping the tsampa into it, and mixing well.
The concentrate, produced by repeatedly boiling tea leaves, will keep for several days and is commonly used in towns. The tea is then combined with salt and butter in a special tea churn (Tibetan script: མདོང་མོ་, Wylie: mdong mo), and churned vigorously before serving hot. Now an electric blender is often used.
Although there is no formal ceremony for the preparation of the tea, butter tea is drunk at different Tibetan ceremonies. During a proper Sherpa people funeral ceremony, it is custom for the deceased's relatives to invite the guests into their house with a cup of butter tea.Sacco, Antonio Maria (1998). "Sherpa Funeral Ceremony". The Tibet Journal. 23 (1): 25–37. ISSN 0970-5368. During the Tibetan New Year, Losar, ceremonies last for three days in the monasteries. Prior to their long prayers in the afternoon, monks start the morning with butter tea and sweet rice.Tashi Namgyal, G. (1996). "Nine Bowls." In B. Harris & H. Wardle (Eds.), Tibetan voices: a traditional memoir (p. 65). Pomegranate Artbooks. .
Butter tea in Bhutanese culture is also drunk at special occasions such as weddings and Losar. When being hosted, guests are also typically served Suja along with Zao, puffed rice roasted with butter and sugar.
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