Tibetan Butter Tea (Po Cha) — Sustenance Drink
Tibet Autonomous Region
Po cha (酥油茶) — butter tea — is Tibet's essential daily drink and one of the highest-calorie beverages in traditional food cultures. Compressed brick tea is simmered until strong, strained, then combined with yak butter and salt in a traditional churn (dong mo) to create an emulsion. The result is a savory, buttery, warming drink consumed throughout the day — sometimes dozens of cups — providing essential calories and hydration at altitude.