We were lucky enough, thanks to our tour company, OAT, to be able to have a visit in a Tibetan family’s home. On the afternoon of our first full day in Lhasa, we paid a visit to a local Tibetan family. Three generations lived in the house. The family does sewing, like colors on purses, to earn money. They served us food and drinks. The food included yak cheese (very hard), puffed barley and puffed wheat, fermented rice cakes, dates, raisins, black beans, popcorn, barley powder, and rice chips. To drink, they gave us yak butter tea and barley beer. I tried everything and liked it all. You can see our group and the food in the first photo.

I’m in another room having yak butter tea in the next photo.

This is their alter or alter room in their home.

I’m with the grandmother and mother of the house in the next photo.

The man of the house is making tea, or at least getting the water hot for tea. At 12,000 feet elevation, this gadget worked quite well and very quickly.