The food of Bhutan is unique and spicy. Bhutanese Cuisine food is mostly spicy in nature because due to the cold climate in Bhutan. Bhutanese people love hot and spicy. Most of the regional tourists find difficulty in finding pure vegetarian hotels and restaurants after crossing the Punakha district.
and don’t miss the variety of food in Bhutan. Most of the Bhutanese cuisine is added with chili and cheese. Chillis are an important component or catalyst for any food in Bhutan. Bhutanese people don’t enjoy food with spicy chilly. Most meals are with rice.
There is a variety of rice grown in Bhutan from low altitude to high altitude till 2300m. Red rice plays a vital rice variety in Bhutan. Rice is served with a minimum of two varieties of dishes.
Meat in Bhutan compromises Pork, beef, fish, and chicken commonly in most of the hotels and restaurants in Bhutan. Most of the vegetables like spinach, potatoes, pumpkins, turnips, radishes, broccoli, tomatoes, river weed, onions, asparagus, and green beans. Grains such as rice, pulses, buckwheat, and barley are grown in most parts of Bhutan.
Vegetables are organic in Bhutan. Bhutan People don’t use pesticides and fertilizers. The government doesn’t allow and wants to make Bhutan pure organic in 2020. All vegetables imported to Bhutan are checked at every checkpoint.
Traditional wooden bowls are used to take food. Most of the Authentic Bhutanese restaurants in Thimphu, Paro, and Bumthang use traditional wooden bowls. Eating with fingers is common in Bhutan. Simply Bhutan, Bhutan Kitchen, Folk Heritage Museum
Table of Contents
Traditional Food of Bhutan
1. Ema Datshi: Food of Bhutan
Ema Datshi comes top of the chart because it is commonly eaten by the people of Bhutan and is found in many restaurants and hotels in Bhutan. In the Bhutanese language, Ema means Chilly and Datsi means Cheese. Cousine is a combination of Chilly and cheese.
Ema Datshi recipe for two portions
How to make Ema Datshi or Ema Datshi recipe is given below for the best preparation and try at your kitchen with the best Bhutanese preparation.
- 12-18 nos of Bhutanese Green Chilies or any chilies
- one large size Red onion
- 2-3 Nos medium-sized tomatoes
- Bhutanese local cheese
- 5-6 Nos Slice cheese processed cheese
- 1 tbsp organic butter
- Salt to taste the portion of chilies
Instructions
Finely cut the green chilies lengthwise and discard the seeds. Slice the onions and the tomatoes too. In a frying pan or a saucepan, take the butter and melt it. Add the onions to it and simply sweat them. Keep the heat at medium so that the onions don’t turn brown. When the onions have become soft, add the tomatoes and then again cook for about five minutes and add the Bhutanese green chilies.
Cook the chilies for five minutes and then add the local cheese and the processed cheese. Immediately add 2 cups of water and cook till the cheese has melted and formed a nice sauce. It takes about 10 to 12 minutes for the sauce to be prepared. Finally, add salt if required and turn off the heat. Serve the stew hot and it can be had as it is or with rice if you wish.
2. Jasha Maroo or Maru the food of Bhutan
Jasha Maru or Maru is a spicy chicken Bhutanese cuisine. The cuisine uses chicken, spices, tomato, and garlic. Of course, Jasha is served with red rice. if you can’t get red rice and use normal rice.
3. Phaksha Paa – (Pork with Red Chilies)
Paksha means pork. The Bhutanese Bhutanese combination of Pork and Red chilly. Please find below the
Ingredients used to prepare Phaksha Paa.
- Medium onion 2-3 Nos for one portion. It should be peeled and chopped.
- Fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped(one inch 3-4 ounces).
- 3 – 4 ounces white radish or red radish, peeled and thinly sliced.
- 4 ounces unsalted butter.
- 1 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 6-inch pieces
- ½ cup of water
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 lbs bok choy, stems removed and leaves cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large fresh green chili pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips
Instruction for cooking
- Melt the butter in a cooking pot.
- Add the cut piece of pork, onion, daikon, water, chili powder/Red chili, and salt and simmer over low heat flame for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the bok choy in a saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Drain.
4. Momos – (Dumplings): The food of Bhutan
Tibetan-style dumplings are stuffed with pork/ beef/Chicken/vegetable combination of cabbages and cheese.
Momos are popularly eaten in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is Tibetan food – found in the entire Himalayan region. In fact, it originated in China. It is common in Bhutan.
They are served mostly hot, filled with minced meat of pork/beef/chicken and vegetables it is minced with cheese or cabbage. It is commonly consumed with Bhutanese hot chili sauce known as “Ezay”. You are served hot steamed or fried in most places in Bhutan.
5. Red Rice.
The red rice of Bhutan is rice grown in Bhutan. It is the staple rice for most Bhutanese in Upper altitudes like Paro, Thimphu, Haa, Wangdue, Punakha, and eastern parts of Bhutan.
The red rice of Bhutan is red japonica rice. It cooks faster than other normal rice. After cooking, it is pale pink, soft, and slightly sticky.
6. Kewa Datshi
Kewa means potatoes in the Bhutanese language and Datshi means cheese.
The combination involves chilies with potatoes that are usually cut into thin slices and then cooked with cheese and butter. Tomatoes and chilies may also be added for more taste.
7. Shamu Datshi
Shamu means mushroom in the Bhutanese language and Daytshi means Cheese.
We get a lot of mushrooms with variety in Bhutan. All the way from Japan tourists come to Bhutan to taste Mushrooms.
8. Shakam Ema Datshi
Shakam means dried beef. Ema means Chilly and Datshi means Cheese. The beef is dried. The dried beef is cut into bite-sized pieces. It is simmered with cheese and butter. Red chilly and white chilly give good combinations.
9. Sikam Paa
In the Bhutanese language, Sikam Paa means dry meat of pork and beef. Shakam Paa is Bhutanese food of dried beef/Pork cooked with dried chilies and sometimes slices of radish.
10. Yaksha Shakam
Yaksha is Yak’s Meat and Shakam means dry. It is nutritional. For yaksha Shakam, the yak meat is dried and can be cooked in different styles.
11. Goep (Tripe)
The popularity of tripe has diminished in many countries Worldwide. Like most meat dishes it is cooked with spicy chillis and Chilli powder. This is an unusual dish even for most Bhutanese. This dish is prepared from the stomach lining of a cow.
12. Hoentay – Fried Momos
It originated from the Haa district of Bhutan. It is similar to momos. The dough is prepared with a buckwheat wrapper. The dumplings are minced with local spinach or turnip leaves and cheese.
13. Datshi Maroo:
Similar to Ema Datshi, this dish uses Bhutanese cheese (Datshi) but replaces the chili peppers with chicken, creating a creamy and flavorful chicken and cheese stew.
14. Ara:
This is a locally brewed alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice or grain. It is a traditional local drink in Bhutan and is commonly consumed during Bhutan festivals and gatherings of Bhutanese.
15. Yak Meat:
In the higher regions of Bhutan, you might find dishes made with yak meat, which is lean and has a distinct taste.
16.Suja (Butter Tea):
This is a traditional Bhutanese tea made with butter and salt. It is a significant part of Bhutanese culture and is often served during ceremonies and social gatherings.
Food In Bhutan
Food in Bhutan reflects the country’s unique culture, geography, and availability of ingredients. The traditional Bhutanese diet consists of simple, hearty dishes that often incorporate red rice, maize, buckwheat, and vegetables.
Keep in mind that Food in Bhutan can be quite spicy, so if you’re not accustomed to spicy food, it’s good for you to ask for milder versions of some dishes in Bhutan. Additionally, Bhutanese meals are often accompanied by various side dishes and condiments like pickles and salads, adding diversity and flavor to the dining experience.