What is the name of the traditional Tibetan butter tea?

The traditional Tibetan butter tea is called Po cha.

Po cha, literally associated with Tibetan tea, is the Tibetan name for butter tea, a savory drink made from strong tea, butter, salt, and water. Traditionally, yak butter is used, although cow’s milk butter is increasingly common where yak products are less available. Some preparations also include tsampa, or roasted barley flour.

The tea is prepared by boiling tea leaves—sometimes for many hours—then combining the concentrated brew with butter and salt in a churn. Vigorous churning emulsifies the fat into the tea, producing a smooth, rich drink that is quite different from sweet Western tea. Electric blenders are now sometimes used in place of wooden churns.

Tea reached Tibet through trade with China, and tea drinking was established there by the 8th century. Butter tea became especially prominent by about the 13th century. Its salt and fat provide useful energy in the cold, high-altitude Himalayan environment, and it remains an important symbol of hospitality.

Names vary by region: cha süma is another Standard Tibetan term, while related forms include bho jha, su ja, and gur gur cha. Po cha is therefore a valid canonical name, not a different beverage from butter tea.