There is a custom to follow when drinking tea. When the host fills the bowl and offers it to the guest, the guest should take it in both hands, raise the bowl with the right hand, and, using the third finger of the left hand, dip lightly into the tea and gently flick to the sky. That means heavenly-mindedness. The guest should then flick a second and third time, which represents terra-respectfulness and Buddha-respectfulness respectively.

According to the Tibetan custom, the tea is drunk in separate sips, and after each sip the host refills the bowl to the brim. Thus the guest never drains his bowl yet it is constantly topped up. If the guest does not wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until it is time to leave and then down the bowl, except for only a small amount. In this way Tibetan etiquette is observed and the host will not be offended.

Tsamba

Tsamba, cooked glutinous rice pounded into paste, is the basic food of Tibetans. It is made of highland barley, which is dried, then fried and grounded into powder. When eating, one should first pour a little buttered tea into a bowl. Next add some ghee, fine milk sediments, and white sugar into it, and then put the tsamba flour into the bowl. Hold the bowl with the left hand, and thoroughly mix the ingredients with the right hand. Finally, mold the dough into small balls for eating. Other ingredients may also be added according to taste.

Air-dried meat

Air-dried meat is a special kind of food in Tibet. Tibetans hang pieces of meat in a shady and cool place at the end of the year, to let them air-dry naturally. On February or March of the next year, the meat pieces can be eaten.