Butter Tea (Po Cha)
Photo: Yosomono, CC BY 2.0
Butter tea, called Po Cha, is the everyday drink of Tibet and is also common in Bhutan. It is salty and rich, closer to a thin soup than to a sweet cup of tea, and the butter is what makes it so warming at high altitude. Tibetan hosts keep topping up a guest's bowl after every sip, so the cup is never empty. Blending the butter in gives a smooth, even body.
Instructions
Put the tea leaves and the milk in a pot and bring them to a boil. If you are using half-and-half, add the water along with it.
Keep the pot boiling for anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. A shorter time gives a lighter cup and a longer time gives a stronger, darker one, so judge by the color and taste you want.
Strain the hot tea into tea cups, leaving the leaves behind.
Add the butter and a little salt to the strained tea. Stir thoroughly until the butter has melted and the drink looks evenly mixed, ideally by using a blender with care, then taste and add more salt if needed. Serve right away.
Make it personal.
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