Although Lhasa serves as the capital of Tibet, knowing as “the Roof of the World”, all kinds of Chinese cuisines are all available here. Among them, the most popular is Sichuan cuisines. Besides those exotic foods, Tibetan food is also becoming increasingly popular with visitors with the improvement of the standard of restaurants and cooking. Major local specialties include tsampa, beef and mutton and mashed yak meat.

 

Tsampa

The main ingredient of tsampa is qingke (Highland Barley). Tsampa is actually barley flour made from parched barley, un-husked and ground into fine flour and then eaten with butter. People also make tsampa by mixing qingke flour and peas. Tsampa made from qingke is a Tibetan traditional food, severed in the restaurants of Lhasa to accommodate the visitors from all over the world. At religious festivals, Tibetans will shed tsampa as a way of blessing.

 

Mashed yak meat

Mashed yak meat is the mixture of some Tibetan medicines and mashed raw beef, blood red, pungent, and you will feel hot inside after eating it. It’s said that Tibet is a place where time can stop, and people today still like to enjoy the sunshine at the foot of the Potala Palace after such a good meal, feeling rather satisfied.

 

Recommended Restaurants

Aloo Gang
Location: Dosengge Road

Barkhor Cafe
Location: on the Barkhor Street

Ethnic Restaurant
Location: at Beijing East Road, opposite the Kirey Hotel

Kailash Restaurant
Location: on the rooftop of the Banak Shol Hotel on Beijing East Road

Mad Yak Restaurant
Location: near the Kirey Hotel on Beijing East Road

Tashi Restaurant
Location: close to Penthoc Guesthouse in Mentsikhang Road

Snowlands Restaurant

Location: next to Snowlands Hotel on Mensikhang Road

 

Special Touring Regions:

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