butter barrel

A traditional, wooden, household tool from Tibet, which is used to make yak butter tea. It comprises of two parts, i.e. a barrel body and a blender with a long handle that is fitted into the barrel. First, tea-leaves are boiled in water, which is then poured into the special tea barrel, while yak butter, some salt and sometimes spices, are added. Then, the mixture is churned by repeatedly punching the blender up and down heavily, until the content is mixed well. The finished, diluted product is called yak butter tea, which is locally known as po cha, i.e. ‘Tibetan tea’. The drinking of yak butter tea is a traditional part of Tibetan life and it is typically served to welcome guests. 回