Breakfast

When most of the day is spent outdoors, and it’s cold out there, a good, solid, warming breakfast becomes very important. In Tibet, most people start the day with tsampa, which is roasted barley flour. Nutty in flavour and higher in fibre and protein than oatmeal, tsampa makes for a really nutritious and filling meal – a great way to kick things off.

The most common way to enjoy tsampa, and this is how it is usually taken for breakfast, is to mix it by hand in a bowl with butter and boiling water, and then roll or squeeze it into small balls to eat. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add sugar or honey; otherwise, cheese makes a great addition. Add a little more water to make a barley porridge, which can be slurped out of the bowl.