Warming Myself in Leh

I had an opportunity to try Sorig tea, a Tibetan herbal tea, when I visited Leh last year.

Sorig tea, Tenzin Dickey Tibetan Restaurant, Fort Rd, Leh - 22 May, 2009

I had visited Spituk, a nearby town, in the morning, and returned to Leh for a late lunch, picking a Tibetan restaurant called Tenzin Dickey Tibetan Restaurant, which I hadn't eaten at before. I noticed signs advertising Sorig tea, which I hadn't heard of before, taped to the walls. I hadn't seen it listed in other Leh restaurants either.

So I ordered a plate of fried veg cheese momos (Rs.60) followed by Sorig tea (Rs.20). The momos were good, but got boring fast. I find Tibetan food bland as a whole, and the momos seemed to be more of a snack, something to be munched on in between drinks, than an actual lunch.

And then came the tea. It was pretty good, with a taste that's hard to describe. It sort of warmed me up, and maybe even served as a laxative later on in the evening. Sorig tea can be found wherever Tibetan settlements exist, and I'm told you can buy boxes in McLeod Ganj, among other places.

Do you have any interesting tea experiences?

Warming Myself in Leh