Monpa kitchen: butter tea and thukpa
Monpa food is the food of a cold mountain valley: warming, simple and based on maize, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, yak and cow's milk and cheese. At its centre is butter tea, made by churning black tea with salt and butter until smooth. It is drunk throughout the day, offered to every guest, and refilled as soon as the cup is half empty.
With a family who welcome guests, you sit by the hearth as the tea is churned and try your hand at it. The meal follows: thukpa, a noodle soup with vegetables or meat, steamed momos, chhurpi, a local cheese, and a sharp relish of chillies and fermented cheese that the Monpa eat with almost everything. In season there may be buckwheat pancakes.
Conversation turns to farming, festivals such as Losar, and the changes the new roads have brought to the valley. Your guide translates and helps with customs, such as accepting refills of tea gracefully. We pay the family directly and fairly for the evening.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
What does butter tea taste like?
Salty, creamy and rich, more like a light soup than sweet tea. It is made by churning black tea with butter and salt. It is warming in the cold and helps at altitude. Many visitors take time to like it; it is polite to accept a cup and sip slowly.
What food do the Monpa eat?
Monpa food is based on maize, barley, buckwheat, rice, potatoes, dairy and some meat. Common dishes include thukpa noodle soup, momos, chhurpi cheese, buckwheat pancakes and fiery chilli relishes. Butter tea is drunk throughout the day.
Is a homestay dinner suitable for vegetarians?
Yes. Many Monpa dishes are vegetarian or easily made so, including vegetable thukpa, potato dishes, buckwheat pancakes and cheese relishes. Let us know in advance so the family can prepare. Some dishes may contain animal fat, which your guide can check.
Also in Dirang
More hours to plan around
