Want A Breakfast That Will Fill You Up But Not Weigh You Down? Try This Modern Twist On Himalayan Butter Tea
Do you struggle to find a breakfast that will fill you up and give you the energy you need to get through the morning, yet won't weigh you down and make you feel sluggish? If so, it's time to try warm butter tea -- a drinkable breakfast concocted by people of the Himalayas sometime before the 10th century and still popular today.
What Is Butter Tea?
Traditionally, butter tea is strong-brewed tea, blended with plenty of yak butter and a bit of salt. The tea leaves used to make the tea are steeped for half a day, strained, and then hand-churned with the yak butter and salt until a thick consistency (similar to that of condensed milk) is achieved.
What Are The Benefits Of Butter Tea?
Yak milk has roughly double the fat content of cow's milk, so the butter made from it is super thick and creamy. The high-caloric content of this butter gives the people of the Himalayan Mountains the energy they need to trudge through the snow on some of the highest peaks on the planet.
The salt in the brew is a multi-purpose ingredient. It detracts the taste buds from bitterness in the tea, helps to regulate blood pressure, and increases awareness by assisting in the transmittal of nerve signals throughout the body.
How Can You Make Butter Tea At Home?
Living in the United States, chances are good that you don't have access to a steady supply of yak butter. You probably also don't have access to an old-school butter churn, or the time to spend half a day slowly steeping tea leaves to perfection before heading off to work.
What's the solution? Grass-fed cow's butter and black tea k-cups.
Much of the butter on today's market is processed or has added sugar or preservatives. If you're going to be making butter tea part of your daily routine, you'll need a healthier option. Grass-fed butter eliminates the health risks of loading up on this high-fat food, because it's made with the good fats that your body needs. It's high in vitamins, has a better ration of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, and contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) -- a naturally occurring trans-fat that studies show helps people to lose weight and increase muscle.
Many grocery stores carry grass-fed butter, but if you can't find it at your local market, check your local health food store.
Once you have your grass-fed butter, drop 1 tablespoon of it into your morning tea cup, along with 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Set the cup in your coffee maker, insert a black tea k-cup, and hit the brew button.
K-cups, like those found at 11th Street Coffee, have a precisely-portioned amount of finely ground tea leaves inside each and every one of them. You don't have to worry about letting your tea steep; by the time it's done brewing, all the flavor is already incorporate into your cup of tea.
The tea will melt the butter as it brews, and a quick stir is all you need to get all the benefits of this winter power tea. If you want your drink to have the thicker consistency of traditional Himalayan butter tea, though, give it a quick whirl with an immersion blender.
If big breakfasts weigh you down and lower your productivity level, yet small breakfasts leave you hungry and out of energy before lunch, it's time to start your day with a cup of Himalayan butter tea. The small serving of liquid will ensure that you're not left feeling weighed-down and sluggish, while the high calorie content and nutritional benefits of grass-fed butter will give you all the energy and nutrients you need to power through your morning routine.