Thukpa

Thukpa (zàng miàn in Mandarin) is the everyday noodle soup of the Tibetan plateau, eaten at breakfast and lunch across Lhasa, Shigatse, Garzê and the broader Tibetan-cultural zone that extends into Qinghai and northern Yunnan. It is a functional, high-calorie dish designed for cold conditions and physical work at altitude, and it is considerably simpler in flavour than the noodle soups of Sichuan or Gansu.

The broth is made from yak or mutton bones simmered with ginger, dried Tibetan chillies and sometimes a small amount of tomato for acidity. The colour is a pale, slightly reddish clear broth — lighter than the dark Sichuan broths and less intensely seasoned than Lanzhou beef noodle soup. This relative restraint is not a shortcoming but a reflection of the flavour profile that Tibetan cooks consider balanced.

The noodles are hand-pulled or hand-rolled from wheat flour. The shape varies by region and sometimes by the cook: thick flat squares (called phing in some areas) in the Lhasa style; thinner round strands in areas closer to the Chinese noodle-belt influence of Sichuan. Some versions use small dumplings (dumplings-in-broth format) rather than pulled strands.

Toppings include thin-sliced yak meat or mutton, dried radish, potato pieces, spinach or local greens and spring onion. In some versions a beaten egg is stirred into the hot broth at serving. A small dish of fermented chilli paste is usually placed on the side.

Thukpa is the breakfast of choice at small Tibetan guesthouses and teahouses throughout the region. Outside Tibet, it appears in Tibetan-neighbourhood restaurants in Shangri-La, Kangding and Chengdu.