Tibetan Butter Tea (Po Cha)

Before you start

Po cha, the butter tea of the Tibetan plateau, is closer to a warm broth than to a cup of afternoon tea. Dark compressed brick tea is boiled long and hard to make a bitter concentrate, then churned with butter and salt until the fat emulsifies into a pale, opaque liquid. Traditionally the butter comes from yak or dri milk and the churning happens in a tall wooden cylinder called a chandong; a blender does the same job at home.

The decisions that matter are the strength of the tea and how thoroughly you emulsify. Weak tea gets lost under the butter and tastes like salted milk. An under-blended pot separates into a greasy slick on top within a minute. Expect a savory, rich drink: if you are hoping for something sweet, this is not that, and adding sugar misses the point.

Ingredients

• 10 g (about 2 tbsp broken pieces) pu-erh or other brick tea — loose shou pu-erh or a strong Assam-style black tea also work
• 750 ml (3 cups) water
• 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk — or half-and-half for a richer cup
• 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter — cultured or grass-fed butter has more of the tangy depth of yak butter
• ¼ tsp fine salt — plus more to taste

Method

1. Break the brick tea into small chips with a butter knife or tea pick, working along the edges so the leaves come away in flakes rather than powder.
2. Bring the water and tea to a boil in the saucepan, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid should reduce to about 400 ml and turn a deep red-brown that you cannot see through.
3. Strain the tea concentrate into a measuring jug, pressing lightly on the leaves. Top up with hot water if needed to reach 400 ml.
4. Add the milk to the hot tea and warm it for a minute in the pan until steaming but not boiling, around 80°C (176°F).
5. Pour the hot liquid into the blender with the butter and salt. Vent the lid or hold a folded towel over it, since hot liquid expands when blended.
6. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds, until the surface is covered with a fine, even foam and no yellow beads of fat are visible.
7. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat. Pour into small bowls or cups and drink hot, before the emulsion starts to loosen.

Tips for success

• Keep cups small and refill often. In Tibetan homes, a host tops up a guest's bowl after every few sips, so a full bowl is how you signal you have had enough.
• Salt should be noticeable but not briny. Start at ¼ tsp per 500 ml and adjust by small pinches; butter quality changes how much you need.
• Reheat leftovers by blending again rather than just warming them. Heat alone will not bring the butter back into the tea.

Substitutions

Brick tea

A strong loose black tea brewed at double strength gives a similar backbone, though it is less earthy. Green tea is too delicate and tastes grassy under butter.

Butter

Ghee works but lacks the milk solids that give foam, so the tea comes out thinner and slightly nutty. Salted butter is fine if you skip the added salt and taste first.

Whole milk

Oat milk blends smoothly and keeps the drink dairy-light. Skim milk makes a watery, separated cup and is not worth using here.

Variations

Concentrate for later

Brew a triple batch of tea concentrate, strain and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Heat 200 ml per serving and blend with butter, milk and salt to order.

Tsampa bowl

Leave a little tea in the bowl and stir in roasted barley flour with your fingers or a spoon to make a dough-like tsampa, a common way to eat it alongside the tea.

Troubleshooting

A layer of oil floats on top

The tea was not blended long enough or had cooled too much. Rewarm it to steaming and blend for another 20 seconds.

It tastes like salty milk

The tea concentrate was too weak. Use the full 10 g of tea and simmer until the liquid is opaque before adding dairy.

The drink is very bitter

The tea boiled too hard for too long, or the brick tea is a harsh grade. Simmer gently and stop at 15 minutes next time, or use a little more milk.

Storage

Butter tea is best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered jar within 2 hours and use within 1 day; the fat will set on top. Reheat to steaming and blend again before drinking.

Safety notes

Brick and pu-erh tea contain caffeine, roughly in the range of other black teas, and a long boil extracts plenty of it. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults; sensitivity varies. Contains dairy.