Kham
Khampa yak curry: Sichuan-spiced.
Sha Phaley
Kham's deep-fried meat-bread
View page →Eastern Tibet, the Sichuan-Yunnan border country where the Khampa horsemen tradition meets Chinese-spice routes. Larger-portion meat dishes than central Tibet — sha phaley (yak-stuffed griddled bread, deep-fried until crisp), khampa yak curry with bone broth, big mug after big mug of po cha. Khampa kitchens are also the most chili-tolerant of Tibetan regions, having absorbed Sichuanese ma-la influence from over the border.
Start Here
Yak-meat-stuffed flatbread, fried until the outside crisps and the inside steams.
Why start here · Khampa street food and trekker's lunch. The size is generous (Kham portions always are); the fry is mandatory; the chili sauce on the side is also mandatory.
Slow-cooked yak with potatoes in spiced bone broth.
Why start here · The Khampa twist on Tibetan stew — more chili and ginger than central Tibet would use. The yak meat is tougher than beef but cooks down to silk.
Yak butter, salt, and brewed tea churned into a thick, savory drink. Drunk by the dozen-cup at altitude.
Why start here · Not a flavor for the unprepared. After three days at altitude you stop tasting the butter and start tasting the warmth.
The Pantry
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Proteins
Grains & Staples
Dairy & Fats
Sauces & Condiments
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
Other regions
Siblings within Tibetan — each its own tradition.