Introduction:Sunday January 3rd 2016: I went to India and Nepal and trekked through the Himalayas from December 1985 to April 1986 with my wife and 3 older children. We grew a taste for Tsampa which is roasted Barley flour carried in a plastic bag now or pouch along with a wooden bowl to mix it with. By mixing Yak or cow butter with it, it becomes a staple as one travels by foot through the Himalayas. When I was there there were no roads much in the Himalayas because they would all wash away during the rainy season during the summers there in the monsoons. If you have ever been in monsoon rains the drops are tropical size which can be as big as your thumb so one drop hitting your shoulders completely drenches you. So, there were no roads then. Since then I think they have built a lot of helicopter landing pads in the Himalayan Bush for emergencies and to bring older tourists in not capable of hiking hundreds (or 50 miles over a week like we did as a family with the youngest being 10 then) with altitudes up to 10,000 feet in the Himalayas and often getting snowed on with backpacks and a Sherpa Guide. However, because there are no roads there are wooden homes built by Sherpas a lot (the materials are carried in by porters) across long suspension bridges between mountain and hilltops.
Tsampa is a staple when you are over 8000 feet in elevation when mixed with butter because it keeps you alive and able to generate enough body heat to stay alive over a long journey. So they carry the Tsampa and buy butter when they pass homes with Yaks on their way. Then they mix it in their wooden bowls.
I'll do another search at the end of the article because I don't know if any of the first sources are still in business making and selling Tsampa.
When I bought some Tsampa online when I first wrote this article I bought a pound of purple tsampa and a pound of White Tsampa. However, I personally found the Purple Tsampa too bitter for my pallet. However, I loved the White Tsampa.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Buying Tibetan Tsampa in the U.S.
So here is a location for shipping tsampa anywhere in the U.S. :
Since March 2007, Ann Lachman has been making purple and white tsampa in Massachusetts. The organically grown barley is washed twice and dried in the sun before being roasted to a pop over an open flame and ground in a stone mill. Ann is happy to mail her tsampa anywhere within the US, international customers can also inquire about postal rates.
For further details and pricing, please contact sales@mahasiddha.org.
And if you live in Canada the following might work easier for you:
Z-den's Tsampa (Canada)
Z-den's Tsampa produces and sells mostly to local Tibetans in Toronto and some in the US. They only take orders over the phone or fax at the moment.
Tel/Fax Toronto #416 686-6236 and Tel# 425 876-7708.
As of August 20th 2013 this is what I found:
Where to buy tsampa
From time to time I get requests for where to purchase tsampa outside of Tibet and China, hence this listing. E-mail me at the address below if you know of any other reputable manufacturers or resellers of tsampa anywhere in the world outside of Tibet and China.Europe
Institut Tibétain (Belgium)The Tibetan Institute of Belgium carries tsampa in its temple shops. It is made at the Yeunten Ling by monk Temba Rubgay, for contact information to the other centers see the institutes webpage. Note that availability may vary, if in doubt you might want to check ahead.
Institut Yeunten Ling
Château du Fond l'Evêque
4 Promenade Saint Jean l'Agneau
B-4500 Huy - Belgique
tel: 00 32 (0)85 27 11 88
fax: 00 32 (0)85 27 11 99
E-mail: yeunten-ling@skynet.be Sonam's Tsampa (Switzerland)
Manufactured by Sonam Dolma Brauen, this tsampa is organically grown and Demeter certified. Sonam's Tsampa is mainly sold by resellers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Although there is no mail order service, individual orders might be arrangable if you order in bulk quantities. You can also contact Sonam if you live in Europe and are interested in becoming a reseller. The website is in German only; click here for an English babelfish translation.
North America
Purple Mountain Tsampa (USA)
Since March 2007, Ann Lachman has been making
purple and white tsampa in Massachusetts. The organically grown barley is
washed twice and dried in the sun before being roasted to a pop over an open
flame and ground in a stone mill. Ann is happy to mail her tsampa anywhere
within the US, international customers can also inquire about postal
rates.For further details and pricing, please contact sales@mahasiddha.org.
tibetantsampa.com (USA)
Ran by exile Tibetans and based in Richmond, California,
tibetantsampa.com not only sells tsampa but
also Tibetan Tsampa Bars.Tsampa lovers outside the US should inquire about shipping, in April 2013 they said they would start shipping internationally soon.
Z-den's Tsampa (Canada)
Z-den's Tsampa produces and sells mostly to local Tibetans in Toronto and some in the US. They only take orders over the phone or fax at the moment.
Tel/Fax Toronto #416 686-6236 and Tel# 425 876-7708.
©Kristoffer Lindqvist, 2004-2013
E-mail: kris@tsampa.org
E-mail: kris@tsampa.org
Here are the 2016 word buttons I found on Tibetan Tsampa:
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