World Religion CPT

Cuisine

Tibetan cuisine includes the culinary traditions and practices of Tibet and its peoples.  It is known for its use of noodles, goat, yak, mutton, dumplings, cheese (often from yak or goat milk), butter (also from animals adapted to the Tibetan climate) and soups.  Grain, traditionally mostly barley, is the staple food of Tibetans.  Vegetables and fruits were eaten rarely in Central Tibet until quite recently, because their cultivation was very difficult.

Buddhist cuisine is an East Asian cuisine which is followed by clergy and many believers from areas historically influenced by Chinese Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan, and it is based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence).  Tsampa (ground barley), meat, yogurt and tea were the basic diet for monks living in Tibet.  Busshist dietary practices vary enormously between traditions and although there are no set dietary laws, all schools of Buddhism have rituals involving food - offering food, recieving food and eating food.  Monks are expected to show moderation and self-control in eating, as well as in other aspects of life. Most Theravadan monks eat only once or twice a day, in the early morning and just before noon, for example.  Meat and fish are not eaten by many people in the Theravada and Mahayana schools of Buddhism. Some believers in both Theravada and Mahayana are vegans, and some do not eat onion, garlic or leek, referring to these as the ‘five pungent spices’.  Fasting is usually practised as a means of freeing the mind. Buddhist monks eat no solid food after noon any day and fast completely on days of new and full moon each month.