Dechen from Ladakh prepares butter tea

Juleh! (The Ladakhi 'hello', pronounce it with enthusiasm: Joooo-Lehh!!)

Zanskar Valley is hidden from a lot of the world. It is nestled in the north of India, a state with a moon-like appearance; big mountains, vast valleys, arid plateaus. It is home to mostly Buddhist folk, living their lives at high altitude.

Meet Dechen, a twenty-something year old who splits her time between living between her home village in Zanskar and in the south of India where she is studying Agriculture with the intention of bringing what she learns back to Zanskar.

For Dechen and others living in Zanskar, tea breaks often punctuate the course of the day.

Tea in Ladakh has the usual suspects of hot water and black tea leaves, but with the addition of salt and butter! Try a cup of warm, buttery goodness?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. Add a couple of teaspoons of black tea leaves and let them simmer for a few minutes
3. Add a pinch of salt
4. Throw in a chunk of unsalted butter and watch it melt into the tea
5. Serve the tea hot and adjust the amount of salt and butter to your liking, and
6. Enjoy!