Tibetan people enjoy three hearty meals a day, but it’s rare to meet an oversized Tibetan. So what’s the secret? How do Tibetans manage to eat their fill while maintaining a healthy weight?
It starts with mindset. Tibetans have a positive attitude towards food, never viewing it as the enemy, but rather as vital nourishment.
Growing up in Tibet, Yeshi remembers that every meal was an occasion, a happy, social ritual. Food was enjoyed in large groups and consumed slowly, mouthful by mouthful. It was never grabbed on the go, even out in the big outdoors.
Meals were supposed to fully satisfy, so portions were not restricted. But “live” food was always chosen over “dead” – fresh over shelf-stable every time. And Yeshi says that vegetables were celebrated as dishes in their own right. They were the star of the show, rather than just a supporting role.
Balancing flavours was also important. Every Tibetan meal is designed to satisfy six core tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent. This helps to curb cravings.
Tibetans tend to load their bowls with filling staples such as noodles, bread and grains. This leaves less room for heavier, greasy foods, which are also more calorific. (Not that calorie-counting is a thing – Yeshi says he can’t think of a word for calorie in Tibetan).
But what happens when you take the Tibetan out of Tibet? It can be hard to adapt to environmental and dietary change.
On visits back home to the village, you can definitely pick out Yeshi and Nyima as the visiting brothers.
Well, the saying goes that you should never trust a skinny chef.
Thank you for the brilliant turn-out last week for our reopening. We’ll be back open again at 5pm this Wednesday. Here are this week’s opening hours in full:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm (dinner only)
Saturday: 12-3 / 5-9.30pm
Our menu is up on the website – check it. Come by for dine in or take away or to restock your freezer. We’ve been busy refilling with momos and all your favourite dishes this week, so clear some space.
Finally, newsletter subscribers get all the deals as usual this week. Have you signed up? Click here to receive weekly news and offers direct to your inbox.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Julie and Yeshi
Opening hours this week:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm
Saturday: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9.30pm
☏ 01865 499318
Do you have the Taste Tibet cookbook? Grab it here or please take a minute to leave a review.
