Ladakh’s high-altitude terrain and long winters have led to the evolution of a unique beverage culture that’s both warming and deeply cultural. Beverages here are more than just refreshments—they are rituals, social glue, spiritual offerings, and carriers of tradition. This guide introduces you to the full spectrum of Ladakhi beverages, from nourishing butter teas to heady home-brewed chang, all deeply embedded in local identity.
Non-Alcoholic Traditional Beverages
Beverage | Ingredients | Where to Try | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Gur Gur Cha (Butter Tea) | Tea leaves (often brick tea), butter (from yak or cow), salt | Everywhere, esp. homes and monasteries | Served during rituals, hospitality symbol |
Kahwa (Ladakhi Green Tea) | Green tea, saffron, cardamom, almonds | Local cafes, Leh Market | More common in Kargil belt, now spreading |
Tangthur | Fermented buttermilk, herbs | Villages like Tia, Saspol | Sour, cooling drink in summers |
Chhang Shespa (Fermented Barley Water) | Roasted barley, warm water | Homes during festivals | Early stage of Chang brewing; light and cloudy |
Apricot Juice (Fresh or Sun-Dried) | Local apricots (Halman variety) | Sham Valley, Domkhar | Refreshing, seasonal juice |
Sea Buckthorn Juice (Leh Berry) | Sea buckthorn berries | Women cooperatives, Alchi, Choglamsar | Superfruit of Ladakh, high in Vitamin C |
Zho (Yak Milk/Curd Drink) | Yak milk, sometimes sweetened or fermented | Changthang Region (Nomadic Families) | Protein-rich, probiotic |
Chuli Tea (Apricot Kernel Tea) | Apricot seeds, water | Domkhar, Skurbuchan | Mild nutty flavor, rare drink |
Ranmang (Barley Herbal Tea) | Roasted barley + wild herbs | Lingshed, Wanla | Digestive drink; used in monasteries too |
Beverage  | Made From  | Where to Try  | Occasion  |
|---|---|---|---|
Chang (Barley Beer)  | Fermented barley or rice  | Homes in villages like Tia, Skurbuchan, Sakti  | Offered during Losar, weddings, community events  |
Arak  | Distilled chang or rice/barley wine  | Nubra, Sham, Zanskar  | Stronger, transparent liquor served in small glasses  |
Phab  | Local variant of fruit-infused alcohol  | Domkhar, apricot belt  | Rare; made with apricots or wild berries  |
Yak Butter Arak (Monastic/Remote)  | Arak + yak butter + herbs  | High monasteries, nomadic tents  | Used in rituals, extremely warming  |
| Changchu (Rice Wine) | Similar to sake, rare | Tibetan-influenced households | Often served hot in cold season |
Village Homestays (Skurbuchan, Tia, Domkhar, Hemis Shukpachan)
Beverages are made in traditional methods using wood fire, stone pots, and heirloom recipes. Women often lead brewing and preparation.
Ask for a guided tasting—some homestays offer hands-on sessions.
Festivals (Losar, Gustor, Harvest)
Chang and arak are freely served during community feasts.
Be mindful—it’s considered disrespectful to decline without explanation.
Women Collectives and Co-ops (Leh, Alchi, Choglamsar)
Products like dried sea buckthorn juice, herbal teas, and apricot seed coffee are sold in eco-packs.
Visit: Women’s Alliance of Ladakh, Leh Market.
Bars & Cafes with Local Menus
A few cafes like Bon Appétit (Leh) or Cafe de Namgyal (Stok) experiment with chang cocktails or infusions.
Always accept Chang with both hands and a smile when offered during a ritual or visit.
In monastic spaces, alcoholic drinks are usually forbidden—ask before mentioning or bringing them.
Many elders still make herbal teas with wild plants—do not ask for the recipe unless invited to learn.
Avoid overconsumption; Chang and Arak are deceptively strong.
From a monk’s morning butter tea to a village wedding’s communal Chang, Ladakh’s traditional beverages are steeped in culture, memory, and mountains. Each sip tells a story—of survival, warmth, generosity, and homegrown ingenuity. For the thoughtful traveller, these drinks are more than refreshment—they’re a direct taste of Ladakh’s heart.
