Tsampa breakfast for Westerners

Ingredients

Tsampa (roasted barley), 2 to 4 table spoons

Ghee (Clarified butter), 1 table spoon

Hot water

Honey or other sweetener (except white sugar)

Pinch of rock salt

Ideas for flavoring:

(Roasted) sesame seeds

Ground coconut

Crushed cashew nuts

Nutmeg/cinnamon

Preparation

Put the ghee in a bowl  and add some hot water to melt the ghee. Then add the Tsampa, and for example a table spoon of sesame seeds, a teaspoon of coconut, honey, some nutmeg and a pinch of rock salt. Then add more hot water until the desired thickness. Tibetans eat it quite dry but most westerners probably prefer to have it similar to porridge.

Notes

Tsampa or roasted barley has a sweet taste, and is light, cooling and dry. It is easy to digest and has been recommended for everyone again and again by Tibetan doctors as a very healthy breakfast. Tibetans eat it with salty butter tea, but tea is not recommended for wind persons. Since barley is dry vata (lung/wind) constitutions should definitively add some ghee, or else butter or oil to counteract the dryness. Since the morning is cold, the heating quality of sesame seeds and nutmeg or cinnamon is an excellent addition to make the dish more warming.

Tsampa breakfast is also very convenient because all the ingredients, including the ghee, can be stored at room temperature for a long period without going to waist. And when traveling, all you need to add is hot water or tea.