spicy stew with potatoes. Mustard seed is cultivated in Tibet and therefore features heavily in its cuisine. Yak yogurt, butter and cheese are frequently eaten and well-prepared yogurt is considered something of a prestige item. Clothing Many Tibetans wear their hair long, although in recent times due to Chinese influence, most men do crop their hair short. The women braid their hair into multiple tiny braids called "Rhe-Ba" or just simply put their hair up in a braid or pony-tail in more rural areas. In more urban areas, women wear many different kinds of hairstyles such as pony-tails, braids, buns or just leaving it down. Some men and women wear long thick dresses (chuba) in more traditional and rural regions. The men wear a shorter version with pants underneath. The style of the clothing varies between regions. Nomads often wear thick sheepskin versions. In more urban places like Lhasa, men and women dress in modern clothing, and many choose to wear chuba during festivals and holidays like Losar. Literature Tibet has national literature that has both religious, semi-spiritual and secular elements. While the religious texts are well-known, Tibet is also home to the semi-spiritual Gesar Epic, which is the longest epic in the world and is popular throughout Mongolia and Central Asia. There are secular texts such as The Dispute Between Tea and Chang (Tibetan beer) and Khache Phalu's Advice. Marriage customs Monogamy is common throughout Tibet. Marriages are sometimes arranged by the parents if the son or daughter has not picked their own partner by a certain age. However, polyandry is practiced in parts of Tibet. This is usually done to avoid division of property and provide financial security. List of Tibetan states Zhangzhung Kingdom (500 BC–625) Yarlung Dynasty (?–618) (semi-mythological) Tibetan Empire (618–842) Kingdom of Bumthang (7th century–17th century) Guge Kingdom (842–1630) Purang Kingdom Maryul (930–1500) Tsongkha Kingdom (997–1099) (Amdo) Phagmodrupa Dynasty (1354–1618) (Ü-Tsang) Maqpon kingdom (1190–1846) (Baltistan) Rinpungpa Dynasty (1435–1565) (Tsang) Yabgo Dynasty (before 1500-1972) (Baltistan) Tsangpa Dynasty (1565–1642) (Tsang) Ganden Phodrang (1642–1959) Namgyal Dynasty (1460–1842) (Ladakh) Chogyal Namgyal dynasty of Sikkim (1642–1975) Tibet (1912–1951) Kingdoms of Kham Nyagrong Kingdom (?–1865) Kingdom of Powo (?–1928) Nangcheng Kingdom (?–1928) Litang Kingdom (?–1950) Kingdom of Lingtsang (12th century–1950) Kingdom of Derge (15th century–1956) Hor States (Horpa) Chiefdom of Bathang Gyalrong Kingdoms Kingdom of Chakla (1407–1950) Chiefdom of Chuchen Chiefdom of Tsanlha See also History of Tibet Timeline of Tibetan