What is Tibetan tea?
Butter tea, commonly known as Suja and Tibetan Tea in Bhutan and Tibet respectively is a type of tea salty in taste rather than the typical sweet Indian tea.
It is a tea with butter and salt in it.
In particular, churning a mixture of tea, salt, and yak butter makes a butter tea. In the mountain regions of Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, it is the most common drink people admire.
Benefits of Tibetan Tea
Altogether, benefits of butter tea include warming the body, increasing energy levels, moisturizes the skin, helps in digestion and other infinite benefits.
Described below are the additional benefits of butter tea,
Boosts Energy
As Butter tea or Suja is rich in caffeine, it helps in boosting energy.
Generally, in mountain areas, people work for long hours and in tough terrain. Accordingly, to boost up their energy Suja is widely considered.
Good for Brain
Similarly, this tea has antioxidant properties which help in countering the dangerous effect of free radicals in the body.
Drinking butter tea can prevents deposition of plague and other bacteria in the brain, which results out in poor memory, lack of focus and concentration.
Weight Loss
Yes, you heard it right. It helps in weight loss.
Drinking butter tea in moderate quantity helps in burning the fat and stimulates the metabolism because of the caffeine present in it.
Improves Digestion
It is one of the main benefits of drinking butter tea. It helps in reducing the stomach acid level and relieve the symptoms of gastroesophageal and acid reflux diseases.
Altitude Sickness
Whenever travelling to mountain regions, I would personally suggest having butter tea with you as it helps in countering the effects of dizziness, lightheadedness, and nausea.
Controls Diabetes
Due to specific anti-diabetic properties in the butter tea, it is widely considered among the mountain people.
Ingredients of Tibetan Tea or Butter Tea
Traditional butter tea, or sometimes called as Tibetan tea is quite easy to make and hardly takes more than 10 minutes. The main ingredients you need are
- 2 pinches of Tea Leaves
- 2 cubes of unsalted butter
- Quarter cup Milk
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 ½ cup of water
How to make Tibetan Tea or Butter Tea
The procedure for making Tibetan tea is effortless. All you need 8-10 minutes to make this tea. Follow the easy steps and enjoy the process of making it.
Step 1: Boil the water in a pan and then make the flame low.
Step 2: Put the two pinches of tea in the water and continue to boil for a couple of minutes, then separate the tea leaves.
Step 3: Combine the tea, salt, butter, and milk in the blender and blend for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Pour it the cup and enjoy the delicacy.
Also, you can check out the video on how to make Tibetan Tea here;
Side Effects of Tibetan Tea
Caffeine
The caffeine content found in the butter tea will have adverse effects on the body once consumed in a massive quantity.
Consuming an excessive quantity of butter tea may end up in anxiety, sleep disorder, headaches, irritability and abdomen discomfort.
It is advised no to drink over 2-3 cups of this tea per day.
Cholesterol
Since butter has some good fats and positive effects on the body. It still can lead you to some cardiovascular problems by increasing the cholesterol levels in your body.
Due to the presence of butter in the Tibetan tea and you’re suffering from high cholesterol, it is advisable to contact your doctor before having this tea.
Salt
As a rule, excess of everything is body as you already know and the same goes with our body as well.
By adding too much salt in your diet will lead you to high blood pressure. So while making the Tibetan tea make sure to add salt as per your taste.
Tibetan tea Recipe
Still need to print out the detailed recipe of the Tibetan Tea, check out the full recipe below,
How to make Tibetan Tea or Butter Tea
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp of tea leaves
- 1/4 cup of Milk
- 2 cubes of butter unsalted butter/salted
- 2 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 tbsp salt according to your taste
Instructions
- Pour in water into the pot, add tea leaves and bring it to the boil.
- Boil it for a few minutes control the flame if it boil over.
- Now, strain it into another pot, and add milk, butter, salt in it.
- Using a hand blender, blend it for a couple of minutes.
- Finally, check the salt, add more if needed also heat it back if needed and serve it hot.
Lastly, dont forget to like the content if you loved it. Also, share it among your social media so that everyone can know how easy it is to make this tea.
Also read our other articles on everything you need about Bhutan:
Looking forward making this. I want to taste it.
Thank you.. one question though darling.. did you by any chance meant by hand blend that it needs to be highly whisked to firm a thicker body?
Thanks again.