Thukpa bhatuk facts for kids
Thukpa bhatuk is a delicious noodle soup from Tibetan cuisine. It's a popular dish, especially in winter. This soup includes small, handmade noodles called bhatsa. Thukpa bhatuk becomes extra special during the Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar. On the night before Losar, called Nyi-Shu-Gu, this soup is made with unique ingredients and becomes a special dish called Guthuk. Eating Guthuk on Losar is a tradition to let go of bad things from the past year and welcome good things for the new year.
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What's in Thukpa Bhatuk?
The main part of Thukpa bhatuk soup is its handmade bhatsa noodles. These noodles are a bit like the Italian pasta called gnocchi. There are different kinds of bhatsa noodles, like gutsi rithuk and bhatuk. In Central Tibet, people often just call both types bhatuk.
This soup usually has meat, often mutton, beef, or yak. But if you don't eat meat, you can also make a vegetarian version. This plant-based soup uses a tasty vegetable broth instead of meat.
Special Traditions for New Year
Guthuk: The New Year's Eve Soup
When it's time for the Tibetan New Year, the regular Thukpa bhatuk soup changes into Guthuk. People only eat Guthuk on the eve of Losar, which is Nyi-Shu-Gu. This special dish is part of a tradition to get rid of any bad luck or negative feelings from the old year. It helps make space for a better and more positive new year.
There are three main ways Thukpa bhatuk and Guthuk are different:
- Thukpa bhatuk is an everyday soup, but Guthuk is only eaten on Nyi-Shu-Gu (Tibetan New Year's Eve).
- Guthuk always has nine main ingredients. For example, a traditional Guthuk might have meat like mutton, beef, or yak, along with dried cheese. A vegetarian Guthuk would include vegetables like mushrooms, celery, labu (radish), peas, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, and spinach.
- For a fun New Year's ritual, each person gets a large dough ball with a hidden symbol inside. The symbol is meant to show something about the person who finds it!
Types of Guthuk
- Traditional Guthuk: This is a Thukpa bhatuk noodle soup with yak meat and dried cheese. It also includes the special oracle dough-ball.
- Vegetarian Guthuk: This version is a Thukpa bhatuk noodle soup with mushrooms, labu (radish), and peas. It also comes with an oracle dough-ball.
Losar: Celebrating the Tibetan New Year
Losar means 'new year' in Tibetan, with lo meaning 'year' and sar meaning 'new'. It is the Tibetan New Year and is celebrated in both Tibet and Nepal. Losar starts on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar and Nepali calendar. Because of this, the date changes each year.
On the night before Losar, called Nyi-Shu-Gu, people say goodbye to the old year and all its troubles. It's a tradition to clean homes and bodies. This helps invite good things for the New Year. The New Year then begins with special ceremonies, including eating the unique Thukpa bhatuk soup, now called Guthuk. This soup is made on Nyi-Shu-Gu and is a very important part of the Losar celebration.
Nyi-Shu-Gu: New Year's Eve
As we learned, Nyi-Shu-Gu is the Tibetan New Year's Eve. It falls on the 29th day of the last month of the year, according to the Tibetan calendar and Nepali calendar. Nyi-Shu-Gu is a day for people to get rid of negative things from their homes and themselves. It's also the day when the special Guthuk soup is made.
A traditional custom in Central Tibet is to heat water over a fire for everyone to bathe and wash their hair. People don't usually bathe every day, but everyone makes sure to be very clean for Losar. Once everything is clean and purified, the Guthuk soup is eaten, and the old year's troubles are sent away.
