Tsampa Eaters

Due to the incredible altitude of the Tibetan Plateau, many crops struggle to grow.  The plateau has an average altitude of 4,500 meters and when temperatures plunge below -9° Celsius, a special kind of food is needed to maintain life.  Luckily for Tibetans, their barley is a high altitude crop that is able to withstand Arctic Circle temperatures.  To put it simply, barley is the most important crop in Tibet and a stable of their diet.  Only a few regions have a low enough temperature to enable the growth of rice, bananas, and other crops. 

Out of this grain, Tsampa is made using roasted barley flour (a staple for many dishes).  Tsampa is prepared by pouring some leftover tea in a bowl and adding a heap of tsampa.  The bowl is then mixed by hand until a dough like substance has formed.  Butter tea usually accompanies the consumption of prepared Tsampa. 

Other foods made out of the Tsampa barley grain include: flatbread called Balep, steamed bread called Tingmo, and fried dough called Sokham Bexe. 

Balep

Sokham Bexe

Tingmo

Tsampa is very engrained in Tibetan lifesyles through food and identity.  The eating of tsampa in Tibet has led to a self-proclaimed nickname “tsampa-eaters”.  This nickname has a unifying effect for the younger generation of Tibetans who are trying to “resist China’s Occupation” (Lhakar Diaries). 

Although not much grows on the top of the world, the presence of barley and tsampa have shaped the diets as well as the identities of people from the Tibetan Plateau.

Hiddin in the Himalayas

Dominating the landscape of Southeast China, the Himalayan mountain range soars above the high Tibetan Plateau.  This range contains nine of the world’s ten tallest peaks as a result of the convergence of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.  Plate tectonics led to the collision of these two plates 40- 50 million years ago.  This collision of two continental plates drove the development of the Himalayan range as well as the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.  The uplift of the region has had a dramatic effect on the lifestyle and culture of those living in this isolated territory. 

Among the Himalayan peaks, the most universally recognized is Chomolungma, more commonly referred to as Mount Everest.  This peak towers above the rest at 8,848 m above sea level, making it the tallest mountain in the world.  This peak and the Tibetan Plateau are among the highest areas of the world, giving in the nickname “roof of the world”. 

Due to the incredible elevation of the Himalayas and the plateau, Tibet remained relatively untouched well into the mid 1700’s.  This isolation allowed Tibetan Culture to develop unique traditions and practices particularly with their political and cultural system.  Aspects of Buddhism are found in almost all aspects of life due to the religion’s historical presence in the region. 

 The Himalayas and Mount Everest have caught the eye of people worldwide. However, the isolation of Tibet, created by its unique geography, allows the Chinese government to tightly control the region. The image of isolation and natural wonder surrounding the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau draws over 1.45 million tourists, particularly from other parts of China.  The exploitation of Tibetan Culture by tourism is slowly causing assimilation within the unique practices, rituals, and lifestyle that defines the region.