The Tibetan yak is a long-haired species found throughout the Himalayan region in southern Central Asia, including the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and as far north as Mongolia.
The Tibetan yak is a mammal that inhabits high mountain areas and is considered the highest-living mammal in the world. Tibetan yaks have a stout body, thick fur, and are native to the Himalayas, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (China), and extend north into Mongolia.
The Tibetan yak, also known as yak or yak-nuo, means “treasure” in the local language.
The Tibetan yak, they are mammals living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, found in areas at altitudes above 3,000 meters above sea level, belonging to the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae. Yaks have stout bodies, thick fur, relatively small heads, short tails, and notably large and wide hooves, resembling the feet of bears.
Yaks are distributed in high mountainous regions and can withstand harsh environments such as extreme cold, drought, and desertification. Tibetan yaks are primarily found in Tibet, Qinghai, and other areas of China, as well as India, Pakistan, Nepal, and countries along the Himalayas. There are about 16 million Tibetan yaks in the world, with more than 15 million in China alone.
The origins of the Tibetan yak can be traced back to the Pleistocene epoch, approximately 3 million years ago. At that time, they were widely distributed in the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It wasn’t until about 700,000 years ago that the ancestors of the Tibetan yak began migrating to the grasslands of Central Asia.
If “the buffalo is the key to agriculture” for Vietnamese farmers, then the most important livelihood for Tibetan nomads is the yak. Just set foot on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the vast and highest land in Central Asia, and you will see the long-haired Tibetan yaks which are quite a sight.
Tibetan yaks also provide strength, meat, and milk… for humans.
Of course, like all other types of cattle raised around the world, Tibetan yaks also provide strength, meat, milk, and even fertilizer for humans. What is unique about these long-haired cattle is that, in addition to these “uses”, they also offer nomads many gifts from their milk.
From the nourishing drink: Yak Butter Tea
If you visit Tibet and stop by a tent, you will likely be offered a cup of yak butter tea that is rich and creamy. The hospitality culture of these nomads is reflected through this tea.
Tibetan yak butter tea is made with fermented pu’erh black tea.
Tibetan yak butter tea is made by mixing fermented pu’erh black tea with a bit of salt and topped with butter. However, only a small amount of butter dissolves in the tea, while the majority settles at the bottom of the cup. Although it is called tea, it seems more like… drinking butter.
The flavor of yak butter tea is not only rich but also slightly salty. People can adjust the amount of salt to change the taste.
In fact, Tibetans drink tea with a clear purpose. The Tibetan Plateau is located at an altitude of 4,500 meters above sea level. It is extremely cold, so the fat content in yak butter tea helps nomads stay warm and store enough energy for the day.
Moreover, Tibetans are certain that their yak butter tea helps improve sleep, increases sexual desire, and enhances physical health.
To the rare delicacy: Cheese
If there is leftover fresh milk, Tibetan nomads can use the remaining portion to make yogurt or churn it into butter. Unlike dairy cows raised on farms worldwide, Tibetan yaks remain wild animals. Perhaps this is why their milk is extremely rich in fat.
Cheese made from Tibetan yak milk.
However, it is very difficult for us to enjoy cheese made from this special yak milk. Unless you travel all the way to the Himalayas, it is truly challenging to know what Tibetan yak cheese tastes like.
And the yak butter lamps that burn all night
If you visit the temples and monasteries perched on the slopes of the Himalayas, you will see various sizes of lamps lit day and night. However, the material used for lighting is not oil or electricity, but yak butter.
Yak butter lamps burn brightly day and night.
The Eastern Buddhist culture greatly favors flickering lights. They often illuminate with lamps or candles instead of using electric bulbs. The gentle, warm light emanating from the wick symbolizes meditation and enlightenment. Its flickering, swaying nature represents the impermanence of the human realm.
The convenience of the temples in the Himalayas is that they can utilize the fat extracted from yak milk as a material to maintain the fire. After pouring it into copper bowls or lamps, the monks can illuminate the monasteries day and night.
