Bhutanese cuisine includes red rice, buckwheat and maize, as well as chicken, yak, lamb, pork and dried beef in almost all parts of the country. The most distinctive feature of Bhutanese cuisine is its spiciness, and chili is an incredibly indispensable part of almost every Bhutanese dish. During the cold season, Bhutanese people enjoy meat stews, rice, lentils, ferns, soups and dried vegetables seasoned with chili and cheese as their favorite dishes. It is a universal fact that most Bhutanese families will not enjoy their meals without including chili.
Food items you shouldn’t miss
- Ema Datshi: The national food of Bhutan which is a spicy mix of chilies and cheese. There are several variations on this dish by adding green beans, ferns, mushroom, or potatoes.
- Jasha Maru: Spicy minced chicken dish with tomatoes and other ingredients that is normally eaten with plain rice.
- Phaksha Paa: Pork cooked with spicy red chilies. Sometimes, the dish is prepared by adding radish or spinach.
- Kewa Datshi:Spicy mix of potatoes and cheese.
- Shamu Datshi: Spicy mix of mushroom and cheese.
- Shakam Paa: Dried beef cooked with dried chilies and sometimes slices of radish.
- Yaksha Shakam: Dried yak meat that is cooked in a number of ways, but normally with fermented yak cheese.
- Goep or Tripe: Like other meat items, it is cooked with plenty of chilies and chili powder. Although the dish is getting extinct elsewhere, it is still enjoyed by the Bhutanese people.
- Juma: Bhutanese sausage made with minced meat, rice and spices.
- Gondo Datshi: Eggs scrambled in butter and mixed with cheese and dried chilies.
- Momos: The Tibetan style dumplings stuffed with pork, beef, or vegetables like cabbage and cheese.
- Hoentoe: Pungent buckwheat dumplings filled with turnip greens, yak cheese, spinach and other vegetables.
- Jaju: Bhutanese milk and vegetable soup made with some type of local spinach or turnip leaves. The soup broth contains milk and butter.
- Goen Hogay: Traditional Bhutanese cucumber salad prepared by mixing cucumber with chili flakes, tomato, cilantro, onions, Sichuan pepper and cheese.
- Khur-le: Bhutanese pancake made from buckwheat, wheat or barley flour.
- Puta: Noodles made from highly nutritious buckwheat.
- Ezay: Bhutanese chili sauce made from dried chilies, Sichuan pepper, tree-tomato, and cheese.
- Shabhaley or Sha Phaley: Tibetan dish of bread stuffed with seasoned red meat and cabbage
- Jasha Tshoem: spicy Bhutanese stew prepared with beef and flavored with ginger, garlic, onion, and chili pepper.
- Zow Shungo: Popular dish made from leftover vegetables and red rice.
