Tea to
Tibetans Just As Coffee to Westerners, In Tibet, tea serves
many purposes. It is a symbol of hospitality, a sacred offering,
and a meal itself. The tea is accompanied by flat cakes of ground
corn, barley or buckwheat, called tsamba. It is offered to guests
to a village, monastery or private home as a sign of hospitality,
and must be consumed before conversation can begin.
