Mushrooms and fungi are an important part of the Tibetan diet. There are many different varieties, and some are so valuable that they can sell for up to three times their weight in gold. The wood ear fungus (pictured above) is one of the most common of all Tibetan fungi. It grows on trees and can be consumed fresh or dried for use and sale during the cold winter months. It is often added to soups, stews and stir-fries. These mushrooms don't impart a lot of flavour, but they a

In Tibet, whatever you consume, you usually have a direct relationship with the person who produced it. This means that people take pride in their work, and also that they are held accountable for upholding high standards. When you know the person who uses what you produce, you try harder not to disappoint them. This helps people to form close relationships within their communities. This way of working also means that whatever you do you do not merely for your own gain, but a

Money holds very little currency at home in Tibet. In Yeshi's village, people farm most of what they need. Multiple cropping yields two harvests a year. The fields in the video above were used first to grow barley (harvested during the springtime), before being reworked for turnips (harvested autumn). Turnips are grown specifically as animal feed. You can see that the yaks, cows, horses and goats will surely not starve this winter. The pigs also enjoy walnuts and dried peach

This one has been a hard to keep quiet! Julie is the proud winner of this year's Yan-Kit So Memorial Award for Food Writers on Asia! The award is a travel bursary to support the research and writing costs involved in producing an original work about Asian food. The judges for this prestigious award are all big names in the culinary world, and include Oxford's own Fuchsia Dunlop, a world-renowned expert on Chinese cuisine. Those of you who have been following our blog for a wh