Buying Tibetan Tsampa in the U.S.

If you have been to Tibet or are familiar with the Tibetan Culture then you know for at least 1000 years the staple sort of (granola) used for long trips walking without refrigeration outside of snow in Tibet and throughout the Himalayas is Tsampa. Tsampa is barley that is first roasted so it it cooked and ready to eat. Then it is dried and ground up into a powder like flour. Then it is mixed with melted yak butter(or cow butter) until it is in a lump sort of a little thicker than peanut butter mixed with flour. If you look it up online you can see pictures of the normal consistency of tsampa ready to eat. I found through the internet a location where one can buy either white or purple tsampa through mahasidda.org a nyingma dharma organization in the United States. I ordered some white tsampa and some purple tsampa. Since I have been away skiing or to Las Vegas with my wife I didn't have time to try to mix some with butter to try it. I found the white tsampa with butter tastes as if I mixed peanut butter, cashew butter and popcorn in a powdery paste mixed with butter. That is the best way I can describe it. I found purple tsampa to be a little more bitter in taste but I guess that could be an acquired taste as well. So for my pallet white tsampa works better for me. However, if I was Tibetan it might be a different story.

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.

Note that Bodhistore.com is no longer selling tsampa (verified by e-mailing the site owner).

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.

Note that Bodhistore.com is no longer selling tsampa (verified by e-mailing the site owner).

©Kristoffer Lindqvist, 2004-2013
E-mail: kris@tsampa.org