Drinking Fresh Blood Of Yak

Mustang has it all, from thousand-year-old man-made caverns and monasteries to exciting adrenaline rush sports, yet many people are unaware of a pretty unusual celebration held in the northern part of Mustang: the "Yak blood drinking festival."

Although most large cities' Nepali food is unremarkable, locals in Nepal's remote northwestern province Mustang celebrate a traditional celebration of drinking yak blood. It is held twice a year, in April-May and July-August, and is organized by the Joint Yak Keepers Group with the goal of selling fresh yak blood and meat. The yak's neck is pierced to allow the blood to flow freely, and 5-10 cups of fresh blood are gathered to drink without the animals being killed.

Yaks graze on herbs like yarsagumba and jatamasi that are said to be excellent for digestion but aren't immediately digestible by humans at high altitudes in the Himalayas. People believe that drinking yak blood relieves gastritis, acidity, and other bowel ailments because yaks eat valuable herbs like yarshagumbu, jatamasi, and panchaaunle that thrive in the highland pasture. A glass of Yak blood costs roughly NPR 60, and they drink it immediately before it solidifies. They also believe that applying Yak feces or excreta to their wounds will heal them. Tourists that visit this alpine region occasionally like drinking the blood of the animals.