by Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Purbu Tsering and Yao Yuan

LHASA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- For Tarab Yonten Tsomo, a 35-year-old Tibetan, a cup of coffee is more than just a beverage. It is a bridge connecting the roof of the world to the rest of the globe.

Thousands of miles away in London, a visitor who tried her Tibetan-style specialty coffee said, "This is something I've never had before, and it tastes amazing."

For Tarab Yonten Tsomo, who grew up eating tsampa and drinking butter tea in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, that moment was the answer she had been seeking for more than seven years.

After graduating from a university in Shanghai in 2013, Tarab Yonten Tsomo initially had a finance job at a company, but a car accident became the catalyst for starting a new life.

"When I regained consciousness, I regretted not having pursued what I really wanted to do," she recalled. She quit the job and, in 2019, took over her husband's small cafe, a venture he had left behind to study in the United States.

She named the cafe "Nindo," meaning "close friends" in Tibetan. She then immersed herself in the world of coffee, researching overseas markets during visits to her husband, attending international exhibitions with peers, and traveling to Kenya to study coffee processing.

Her dedication paid off. She passed more than 20 exams at once to earn her Q-Grader certificate, the international standard for professional coffee quality evaluation established by the Coffee Quality Institute.

"My hands were cracked from practicing in cold water back then, but I never gave up," she recalled.

A TASTE OF LHASA

Tarab Yonten Tsomo, whose "Nindo" brand is now a social media sensation, is among a new generation of local baristas striving to promote Xizang's unique coffee culture.

According to records, the first cafe in the region opened around the 1930s in Gyangze, a county about 300 km west of Lhasa. Initially referred to as "Cikqia," meaning "burnt tea" in Tibetan, coffee gradually became known as "Gofee," a sign of its early roots on the plateau.

Since the democratic reform, launched in March 1959, ended feudal serfdom and freed about 1 million serfs, Xizang has proven quick to adapt to and integrate with the modern world. Now, over 800 coffee shops dot Lhasa, giving it one of the highest coffee shop densities in China.

The Tibetan-style coffee, which often features a rich milky flavor rendered by local dairy products such as yak butter and cheese, is now popular among tourists and locals alike.

But for Tarab Yonten Tsomo, such a "Lhasa taste" does not come easily. Her initial experiments combining the region's iconic sweet milk tea failed, as the tea would settle and the espresso turned it sour.

Inspiration then struck from her childhood memory of eating dry milk curds with her bare hands. Served in a traditional Tibetan wooden bowl, with dried milk curds and butter presented separately in the lid, her creation -- the "Lhasa latte" -- invites customers to add the local ingredients to their liking.

The Tibetan script printed on the bowls, bearing the names of Lhasa's old neighborhoods, often sparks conversations with curious customers. "I want people to discover Lhasa in a relaxed way," she said.

Wang Siwen, a tourist from Beijing, tried the Tibetan-style coffee for the first time.

"It's a creative way to blend Lhasa's daily food culture into coffee," Wang said.

With popularity growing among both locals and tourists, the Nindo brand now has six outlets across Lhasa.

FROM LHASA TO LONDON

In May 2025, Nindo became the only brand from Xizang invited to represent China at the London Coffee Festival.

Their booth, adorned with traditional thangka elements and Tibetan opera masks, captured second place in sales at the four-day event. Its 4.9-pound specialty drinks drew a long queue.

As international customers sipped the Lhasa latte and asked where Xizang is and how Tibetan people live, Tarab Yonten Tsomo realized that every cup sold carries a story. "Every time a foreign customer chose our coffee, I felt our culture was understood and appreciated," she said.

Her ambition extends beyond her own brand. In 2025, she helped organize the China Coffee Brewers Championship in Lhasa.

Qiang Hua, head judge of the national competition, said this was the fourth time the coffee brewing event had come to Lhasa. "It's truly touching to see so many people in this city who love coffee and are so dedicated to it," Qiang said.

Tarab Yonten Tsomo is currently busy organizing the 2026 Lhasa coffee festival, bringing together local tea houses and modern coffee culture. She has also been in talks with a Shanghai-based coffee festival to invite 10 coffee brands to Lhasa for exchanges and collaboration.

"I want more coffee professionals in Xizang to be seen by the world," she said. ■