Agrarian Territories

Highland Barley (青稞) is the main crop and the traditional staple cereal that the locals highly revered. Their traditional breakfasts consist of highland barley (either as grains, dry-fried, or grounded after dry-frying), and Yak milk tea (酥油茶). Main meat comes from yaks. Tibetans generally dont eat fish (probably due to practices of water burial).

Recently, more cash crop varieties have been introduced and grown by migrant farmers from lowland provinces. We visited a watermelon farm on way out of the airport upon arrival. Enjoyed the thin-skin, juicy and sweet fruit. Cut straight from the vines in the greenhouses and into our mouths. Grown in greenhouses because the window to grow anything is short on the highlands. Even though sunlight is abundant, air is thin. Everything grows slow. A Tibetan chicken grows 600gms in 2 years --- almost impossible to find in local markets, probably pricing way above local affordability. We visited a chicken farm in Lhasa too and were treated to home-cooked local potatos, (another excellent variety that grows slowly), local lamb, Tibetan chicken soup (bowls after bowls of tasty Tibetan chicken soup, cooked with just water and salt), and zanba(糌粑)--- highland barley flour fried, grounded and then kneaded with just water.

Photos:

- aerial view of a remote farm by a highland river

- Tibetan farm at ground level (this one at 4000m above sea level)

- at one of many watermelon farms enroute from airport to Lhasa

- Tibetan chicken free ranged, not for sale for meat but for reproduction

- Tibetan chicken soup, stewed lamb (手抓羊肉), potato, "zanba"(highland barley)