The Tu people mainly feed on highland barley, wheat and potato and make a dozen kinds of vegetables like radish, Chinese cabbage and lettuce. In their daily life, they have Chinese sauerkraut, with meat as supplement. They like milk tea and parched buttered flour. On happy occasions they make varieties of fried foods and handpicked pork or mutton, and during festivals, they like to have fried foods like “baoshizai”, “pansai” and “sanzi”.

The most fastidious Tu food is the five-course wedding banquet: the first course is buttered milk tea and twisted rolls; the 2nd deep fried doughnuts and twists, rib beef and “youcha”; the 3rd oil, sugar and oily steamed dumplings; the 4th “naaren”; and the 5th hand-made noodles. Tu people enjoy drinking and most households brew barley beer at home. As a traditional custom, hospitality is well represented in the custom to offer three cups for guests. The host waits at the gate with cups and kettle in hands and offers three cups of liquor when the quest gets off the horse or cart and offers three cups as well when the guest departs.