Yaks, which are called “boats on the plateau”, live in the alpine region at an altitude of 3,000 meters and above. They feed on natural grass on the plateau and drink melted glacier water from snowy mountains. This is the main reason why yak meat is tasty and nutritious. Air-dried yak meat is a traditional delicious food of Tibetan people and one of their favorite foods.

“At the end of November or in early December each year, when the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius, we begin to make air-dried yak meat.” Tamdrin, a local Tibetan, told the reporter, “The hindquarter and tendon of yaks are the preferred parts for making air-dried meat. First, we cut the raw yak meat into cutlets of moderate size along the texture of the meat. And then, we hang them in a ventilated grass barn or in the shade under the eaves. Through freezing and air drying, the cutlets will lose moisture while the fresh taste is locked.”

In March or April of the next year, after the precipitation of a whole winter, we can see that the originally elastic and moist yak cutlets have shrunk slightly in circumference, and the bright red cutlets has faded to a lighter dark red. Due to the loss of moisture, they become lighter in weight. When pinched them with hand, the cutlets no longer exhibit elasticity and the texture is clear, which indicates that air drying has been completed. Tear off a piece, put it in your mouth, and chew slowly. The strong smell of meat will be left in your mouth for a long time.