TIBETAN BUTTER TEA

1 tablespoon loose tea leaves (preferably a smoky black tea)
1/4 cup half-and-half (or half cream and half milk)
1 tablespoon butter
salt

Boil tea in 4 cups of water for about 10 minutes. Remove from flame. Remove the tea leaves from the liquid by pouring through a sieve. Add half-and-half and butter to the strained tea. Add salt to taste. (Tibetans like it very salty!) This will cool the tea, so warm it briefly over a low flame, making sure the tea doesn't boil. For a frothy tea, pour it back and forth between two containers a few times."