At the table
Break or cut into manageable pieces and eat alongside tea. Check the texture before offering a piece to a child.
Contains barley and is not gluten-free. Other flour, milk or fat ingredients depend on the recipe.
Flour blends, raising agents, fats and sweeteners vary; ask about milk, butter and wheat if relevant.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Flour blends, raising agents, fats and sweeteners vary; ask about milk, butter and wheat if relevant.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Toasted barley; sweetness varies.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Firm golden crust and a substantial grainy interior.
- How it’s made
- Highland barley is ground, mixed into dough with a raising agent and baked.
Flour blends, raising agents, fats and sweeteners vary; ask about milk, butter and wheat if relevant.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Its origins are linked to Tibet.
About this regional connection
Tibet: Tibetan qingke bakedcake, not Qinghai fenugreek-oil recipe andnottsampa.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有青稞饼吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Barley in everyday food
Highland barley is made into several different foods in Tibet. Baking it into a cake gives a portable alternative to tsampa; the methods and texture are different.