Thukpa bhatuk

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Thukpa bhatuk is a Tibetan noodle soup from Amdo in Tibet. It features small handmade bhatsa noodles, similar to gnocchi, and is usually made with meat such as mutton, beef, or yak, though it can also be prepared as a vegetarian soup using vegetable bouillon. It is a popular winter dish and is especially important for Tibetan New Year celebrations.

During Losar, the Tibetan New Year, the common soup thukpa bhatuk is transformed into gutuk. Guthuk is eaten on the eve of Losar to drive away the negativities of the old year and invite positive things for the new year. There are three main differences between thukpa bhatuk and gutuk: first, gutuk is only eaten on Nyi-Shu-Gu, the night before Losar; second, gutuk typically has nine main ingredients (a meat version might include meat and dried cheese, while a vegetarian gutuk includes mushrooms, celery, radish, peas, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, and spinach); third, gutuk is served with a large dough ball that hides a symbol inside to reveal something about the person who receives it.

In addition to gutuk, Nyi-Shu-Gu is a time to cleanse away the old year. In Central Tibet, people heat water for baths and wash their hair as part of preparation for Losar. After purification, gutuk is eaten to expel negativities and welcome the new year.

Losar is celebrated in Tibet and Nepal as the Tibetan New Year, and gutuk plays a special role in the festivities. Thukpa bhatuk remains the base soup, with bhatsa noodles and vegetables, but the Guthuk variation adds ritual elements for the New Year.