At the table
Eat with a spoon. Taste the plain yogurt before adding sugar or honey; it can be quite sour. Ask which toppings are included.
Contains milk. Some versions add barley, which contains gluten. Check the actual toppings if you avoid particular ingredients.
Sugar, honey, roasted highland barley and droma roots are optional additions. A milk skin may form on top. Sweetness and toppings vary; the plain yogurt need not contain any of them.
The thick smooth yogurt is spoonable and easy to serve in a small portion; check optional toppings and dairy suitability.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Honey, roasted barley or droma may be added.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Tart and milky.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Thick and smooth.
- How it’s made
- Ferment yak milk.
Honey, roasted barley or droma may be added.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Tibet.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有牦牛酸奶吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A tart summer snack in Lhasa
Yak-milk yogurt is part of Lhasa’s summer street-food culture, enjoyed by residents and visitors. Fermentation gives the thick yogurt a pronounced sourness, so sugar or honey often accompanies it. Roasted highland barley or droma, the small edible roots also called juema, may add texture. Try a little plain first, then sweeten to taste: the milk’s tang is part of the experience.