Modern Butter Tea, aka Bulletproof Tea

Inspired by the books and products surrounding Bulletproof Coffee, we wanted to bring it back to its roots in tea – Butter Tea to be exact. Embraced by many in the Paleo and Crossfit communities, Bulletproof Coffee and Bulletproof Tea are touted by fitness gurus to both satisfy and energize. These power drinks are rooted in traditional Tibetan Butter Tea, or “po cha”, a rich brothy brew made from Pu’erh, salt, and yak butter.

Butter tea has been a staple throughout many regions of the Himalayas for over a thousand years, where it’s drunk throughout the day for its warming and energy-rich character. It helps provide sustenance for everyday living in the harsh, cold and arid conditions at high altitude. Many westerners have been exposed to this tradition while traveling to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and India, where it’s drunk by monks, sherpas, and everyday people.

Antoine Taveneaux/via Wikimedia Commons

If you want to try this intriguing concoction without the expense of traveling halfway around the world, you can simply use a few substitutions to make it yourself. Since it’s likely impossible to find freshly churned yak butter at your local market, you can substitute organic butter from a cow and virgin coconut oil, to give it the right consistency (and a lovely coconut aroma). Instead of using a traditional tall wooden churn, called “cha dong”, to mix up your brew, a basic blender does a great job in a fraction of the time and is often used today in Tibet.

Here’s a modern rendition of Butter Tea you can make at home. And believe us when we say, you’ll never again crave a typical latte!