Forget milk and sugar! This secret morning drink of the Himalayan people gives the body iron-like strength. Forget milk and sugar! This secret morning drink of the Himalayan people gives steely strength to health.

Who would not like to sip hot tea early in the morning amid the beautiful valleys of the mountains and the icy winds? But if you are thinking that people of villages situated in the lap of Himalayas start their day by drinking normal milk-sugar tea like us and you, then you are absolutely wrong. In the Himalayan regions adjacent to Ladakh, Himachal and Tibet, a very special and unique tea is drunk, which is the traditional morning drink of the people there. The taste of this tea is not sweet but salty and its health benefits will surprise you.

This special tea is a unique combination of butter and salt.

This unique tea, drunk in the high hill villages of the Himalayas, is called ‘Gurgur Tea’, ‘Salt Tea’ or ‘Butter Tea’. It is also called ‘Po Cha’ in the local language. The method of making it is completely different from ordinary tea. To prepare this traditional drink, tea leaves are boiled thoroughly in water and then fresh butter made from yak milk and a little salt is added to it. After this, this mixture is put in a tall wooden vessel (called Gurgur) and churned well, due to which the butter and tea mix completely.

Keeps the body warm from inside in bone-chilling cold.

The temperature in these villages situated at a height of thousands of feet above sea level often drops to minus degrees. In such severe cold, this butter tea is no less than a boon for the local people. The yak butter present in this tea provides abundant calories and fat to the body, due to which the body temperature remains warm from inside. Apart from this, due to the icy winds blowing in high altitude areas, the problem of cracked lips and skin is common, but the natural fat present in this tea keeps the body moisturized from inside and protects the skin from dryness.

Apart from being an energy booster, it also keeps diseases away.

This special Pahadi morning drink not only keeps the body warm, but it also has many other unique benefits. This tea works as an excellent energy booster for long climbs and hard work on hilly roads. It keeps the digestive system healthy and provides relief from ‘altitude sickness’ (problem of vomiting, dizziness or headache) occurring in the mountains. The best thing is that there is no sugar used in it, due to which it is completely safe for health and also helpful in keeping the weight balanced.