Taste Tibet

A wonderful cookbook that I used for a quick read through and now will use as a reference book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

Taste Tibet: Family Recipes from the Himalayas is a really beautiful book written by Julie Kleeman and her husband Yeshi Jampa. It really feels like a family recipe book with photos of Yeshi’s family in Tibet throughout the book.

The book provides a good overview of what Tibetan food is and it’s influences. My knowledge of Tibetan food was limited before reading this book. I now feel ready to try out the recipes and I can’t wait to make and sample the chocolate momos!

The book is nicely broken down into sections for: Breakfast; Cold Dishes; Rice and Stir-Fries; Noodles, Soups and Stews; Dumplings, Pasties and Bread; Street Food, etc. There are lots of vegan/vegetarian dishes to try. The photographs of the cooked dishes are beautiful - looking at them made me feel rather hungry and that I have to start cooking immediately!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Murdoch Books, for making this ARC available to me for a fair and honest review.

I have never had Tibetan cuisine before, so as an ardent cook, was quite interested to find out what sort of dishes are included in this book. Looking at the recipes definitely made by mouth water and being a vegetarian, I am going to try the veggie/vegan ones. There are a range of recipes, including those for breakfast, rice, noodles, soups, momos and sweets. Most of the ingredients used in the recipes are familiar, with many languishing in my pantry but the Bassar curry masala and Chinkiang black vinegar that are used in a wide variety of Tibetan dishes may be difficult to find.

What was interesting to me was how much influence both Indian and Chinese cuisines have on the Tibetan dishes within this book, although not surprising given the history and geography of the area. For example, Dresil (ceremonial rice) is very similar to the sweet rice made in many Indian regions during festivals. That said, there are several dishes that seem unique to Tibet, such as momos, which originated in Tibet and are a personal favourite.

This book seems to be a labor of love for both the authors and it shows throughout the book!

The story behind this book is just as interesting as the recipes. The depiction of life and food in Tibet are wonderful and immersive, the photographs adding beautifully to the sense of place. The recipes do not have too many ingredients that would be difficult to get. I look forward to trying this new (for me) type of food.

A wonderful journey into the recipes, culture and heritage of Tibet. The recipes are detailed and it's fantastic that for pretty much every recipe there is a vegetarian and/or vegan option as well as a meat given. No more hopeful substitutions! A whole section on momos is needed and hugely informative, I've always wanted to learn these!

Gorgeous book, full of flavour and info that transports you to Tibet.

A real feast for the soul.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fascinating insight into Tibetan cooking that immediately made me want to visit the restaurant.

I particularly enjoyed the stories behind the recipes. The photography has to have a mention as it is beautiful. Some recipes might be for true fans only, but there are many that are accessible and sound really tasty.

I'm always interested in food from other regions of the world, so when this came up on Netgalley I knew I needed to review it.

This book has been divided into 8 main chapters plus an Introduction to Tibetan food and its culture.
- Breakfast
- cold dishes
- Rice & stir-fries
- noodles, soups & stews
- Dumplings, pasties & bread
- Sauces & dips
- street food favourites
- sweet tooth

This is a lovely book. Most recipes have a colour photograph to accompany them. The ingredients are provided in both metric and imperial terms. The number of portions are provided. The ingredients are in British terms, but there are also the American terms available in the ingredients list of each recipe. The steps are easy-to-follow.

In the noodles chapter it provides details on how to make your own noodles - it's rather like making pasta, though you stretch the noodles out. If a recipe is either vegan or vegetarian then the page makes it clear.. There is also a tip at the end of each recipe. In the dumpling chapter, there are step by steps pictures for making the dumplings which is very handy.

I'd certainly like to make the Famous Chicken Curry alongside a Balep, Tibetan flatbread and the sesame chicken.

At the rear of the book is a list of ingredients and whether they can be found in Chinese or Indian grocery stores.

I loved this book and can't wait to get a copy for myself and start cooking the lovely dishes.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Taste Tibet is a not just an introduction to the Tibetan cuisine it is also a lovely insight into Tibetan culture and daily life. The book is well laid out with great photographs throughout. The recipes are clear and easy to follow and feel very personal to the authors.

A great addition to your cook book library.

I was given a copy of Taste Tibet by NetGalley and the publishers.

I became enamoured with Tibet as a child when I found a beautiful National Geographic book on China which had amazing photos of Tibet. Although I travelled in China during 1991 I was unable to visit Tibet and so the closest I can get to experiencing this vibrant culture is to eat and cook the food.
This is a well written, informative cookbook, written from the heart and with love. I love dumplings and the Momos are delicious, on the sturdier side to most dumplings I have had such as wonton or vareneky but that makes them all the more portable. The Sepen hot chilli dip is a must as a condiment to go with the momos and it goes so well with a whole range of other food.
There is a recipe for congee (rice porridge) which is my ultimate comfort food for when I feel under the weather, however the twist of adding leeks & potato is genius and is now added to my repertoire. I have yet to make the hearty sounding Thenthuk (hand pulled noodles often in soup) and the flatbreads but be assured I will.
Recommend this book whole-heartedly and my thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to the ARC.