Butter tea
བོད་ཇ། 酥油茶 · Lhasa, Tibet, China
A highland drink churned from tea, butter and salt — the first cup a Tibetan home offers a guest.
Know before you go
- Don't drain your bowl, let your host refill it again and again, and then refuse
- don't pass or take a bowl with your left hand
- don't spill tea on the floor
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
Legend
The princess and the Tea Horse Road
Tea in Tibet can be traced back to the Tang dynasty in the 7th century, but butter tea only became popular in the 13th century under the Phagmodrupa. Legend says a Tang princess married the king of Tibet, after which trade routes opened between the Han and Tibetans and tea was carried into Tibet; the Tibetans then added butter, indispensable in their daily diet, to the tea, and so butter tea was born.
Source: Wikipedia: Butter tea
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Butter tea is called 'po cha' (Tibetan tea) or 'cha süma' (churned tea) in Tibetan; traditionally tea, yak butter, water, tsampa and salt are churned together in a wooden churn. Tibet's tea history dates back to the 7th-century Tang dynasty, but butter tea only became popular in the 13th century under the Phagmodrupa. Legend says a Tang princess married into the Tibetan court, opening the Tea Horse trade route between China and Tibet.
Local customs
- Your host will keep topping up your tea
- when you don't want more, leave some in the bowl rather than draining it
Religion & beliefs
- Monasteries often offer butter tea to monks
- don't drink with your back to Buddha images or scriptures.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: don't get physical in a dispute
- Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
- Pushing, shoving or fighting
Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Don't drain your bowl, let your host refill it again and again, and then refuse
- don't pass or take a bowl with your left hand
- don't spill tea on the floor
Locals appreciate DO
Tibetans appreciate guests who take the tea with both hands and sip it first.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Sweet-tea houses around the Barkhor also sell butter tea, with tsampa or Tibetan noodles
- try a little at first while you adjust to the altitude. Prices and opening hours are set by each teahouse
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
More in China
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