A Coming Storm

Tibetan pigs were rare in Lhasa, as they usually lived in bushes 3,000-4,000 meters above sea level. The plateau hypoxia caused them to grow small, but unlike their homebred brothers, they tasted really good.

The cook roasted the meat on the fire with a special sauce. When it was taken from the firewood, the skin was a crystal-like jelly that felt like plastic in one's mouth.

The pigs lived on natural food, so people couldn't find meat like that in big city restaurants. If one felt greasy, they could have a cup of local beer. A heated potato bun completed the dinner, making it perfect.

The potato buns in Tibet were different. The natives smashed the plateau potatoes into a sauce and mixed it with homemade butter and milk. The potatoes contained a high starch percentage, so they could be made into soft dough.