Butter tea, or po cha, is a hot drink made from black tea, salt, and butter, traditionally consumed by Tibetan monks. It is believed to provide warmth and energy in high altitudes. While the traditional process is arduous, it can be easily made at home. Black tea is rich in antioxidants and believed to boost the immune system.
Butter tea, also known as po cha, is a hot drink made from black tea, salt, and butter. Milk or powdered milk is also often added. The creation of this drink is widely credited to Tibetan monks, who typically use butter made from yak milk to make tea. Tibetans often drink multiple bowls each day, as they believe it warms them in the cool mountain temperatures and gives them energy. Although traditional butter tea as the monks require it requires a relatively arduous process, it is quite simple to prepare at home using produce from a grocery store.
Many people attuned to Asian culture love butter tea and it has been suggested that the hot beverage can make for a fun and tasty holiday tradition during the cold months. This drink can be made with just a few readily available ingredients. Black tea bags can be purchased at almost any supermarket or health food store. The first step in making this drink is usually to boil water and steep the tea bags or loose tea leaves for a few minutes.
A blender or churn is often used when making butter tea, which can give the best results. Butter, salt and milk are added to the black tea and mixed or shaken until the mixture is completely liquidized. The result is typically a frothy, creamy drink that is served in teacups or bowls.
In Tibet, where grocery stores with prepackaged tea bags and butter are not plentiful, the process of making butter tea can take quite a bit of time and effort. Black tea, often found in the Pemagul area of Tibet, is boiled in water for several hours. This step creates the first ingredient in traditional po cha, called chaku. The butter is usually churned out by hand and, along with the milk, is added to the boiling water along with some chaku.
The Tibetan people consider butter tea for many reasons. Because they live at relatively high altitudes, the heat of the drink and the high calorie content (kilojoules) are said to provide sufficient heat and energy. For some, it is customary to offer guests a bowl of po cha, which is refilled every time the guest takes even a sip. It is believed that a hospital guest will never leave a guest with an empty bowl.
Although butter tea, as the name may suggest, is not typically considered a health drink, the black tea from which it is made is believed to have several health benefits. Tea leaves are rich in antioxidants, which have the ability to fight off free radicals in the body that could otherwise create health problems like cancer. Black tea is also believed to boost the immune system and help the body fight off disease.
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