The Dalai Lama's eating habits are nothing short of fascinating.
From his approach to meat, to the strict laws of Buddhism, to the palace gardens which provide
his favorite ingredients, these are the ins and outs of the Dalai Lama's meek but mighty
diet.
Is he vegetarian?
The first assumption that's easy to make about the Dalai Lama's eating habits is that he's
a vegetarian.
It makes sense, right?
One of the principal precepts of Buddhism, after all, is to abstain from killing.
Different sects of Buddhism, however, interpret that law in different ways, and the Dalai
Lama's strand does allow for meat to be eaten by its practitioners.
When he fled to India in 1959, he adopted a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet in accordance
with the beliefs of many of the country's own Buddhists.
Essentially, that means including milk and eggs in meals, but leaving out the meat.
Unfortunately, after 20 months, his developing illnesses led to his doctors' recommendation
he resume eating meat for health reasons.
Today, it's difficult to come by meat in the vegetarian monasteries in south India, where
he spends most of his time.
Still, he's said he usually eats meat once or twice a week, and he does eat meat dishes
that are offered to him while he's on the road.
Tibetan breakfast and lunch
The Dalai Lama's first meal of the day usually consists of porridge, bread, tea and tsampa,
an important part of the Tibetan diet.
"I learned that some nutritionists nutritionists nutritionists …. Say that tsampa is very
good for health"
Tsampa is a type of flour made from roasted barley then usually mixed with tea and yak's
milk.
It's a crucial part of the Tibetan diet and cultural identity, and once his early meals
are over, he's subject to some severe restrictions.
According to monastic texts, Buddhist monks and nuns are prohibited from eating solid
food after midday.
Although it's a controversial view amongst Buddhist practitioners in many ways and for
many reasons, it's one that the Dalai Lama certainly adheres to.
He takes lunch at 11:30 a.m. and, after that, eats nothing at all until the next morning.
Homegrown vegetables and fresh bread
The Potala Palace in Lhasa was the Dalai Lama's home during his life in Tibet, prior to the
1959 rebellion.
Many types of traditional Buddhist and Tibetan breads were baked in the palace's kitchens,
and there were also a number of greenhouses which provided fresh vegetables throughout
the year.
That meant the Dalai Lama had fresh veg for most meals, including cauliflower, bitter
melon, spinach, tomatoes, and daikon.
Although the Dalai Lama now lives in Dharamsala in India, it's likely that he still enjoys
many of the same foods and dishes that he used to eat in Tibet.
Oodles of noodles
According to one former member of the Dalai Lama's kitchen staff, His Holiness was, like
many of his fellow Tibetans, a big fan of noodles.
One of the dishes he enjoys regularly is thukpa, a vegetable and noodle soup which originated
in eastern Tibet and northern Nepal.
He's said to also be partial to momo and shapale, similar dishes made of meat folded inside
of a pasty.
These traditional dumplings are frequently served up for His Holiness, and considering
his schedule, they're likely lunch dishes.
Mare's milk
It probably comes as no surprise to find that the Dalai Lama doesn't drink alcohol.
His aversion to alcohol doesn't just stop with himself, however.
In 2017, he told John Oliver that he managed to cure the entire nation of Mongolia of alcoholism
in the 90s by encouraging them to drink something completely different.
"Wait hold on.”
“Drink horse milk.”
“You tried to wean them off vodka by giving them horse milk.”
“Oh yes! they follow!"
For the Dalai Lama, though, it's a clear case of simple abstinence, whether we're talking
vodka or fermented mare's milk.
Yak tea
Although the Dalai Lama is unable to eat after midday, liquids are not off-limits for the
rest of the day.
Around 5 p.m. every day he sits down for evening tea.
Like many eastern Asian countries, tea is a pretty big part of Tibetan life, and one
specialty the country enjoys is yak butter tea.
It's made by brewing dark tea with salt before adding yak butter and milk.
The finished product is creamy, fatty, and nutty, and it's likely one of the types of
tea that the Dalai Lama will enjoy in the evening.
After tea, His Holiness spends a couple of hours praying and meditating, before retiring
to his quarters to get some sleep.
Then, he wakes up a few hours later to do the whole thing again.