Travel is all about knowing the place in it’s natural beauty, it’s people, its traditions, It’s culture and most most importantly its food.
A trip to any new place is just incomplete without tasting and knowing it’s food.
While Visiting Bhutan, as vegetarians we had made up our mind that we will be eating only and only rice but Bhutan surprised us with its hot and spicy cuisine. Bhutanese cuisine is a mix of Tibetan, Indian, Chinese and Nepalese food and we had a lovely time savoring on all these goodies while there.
Bhutanese cuisine is clean and simple and is cooked with minimum ingredients. The food is very hot as they make use of Bhutanese spicy hot chillies in almost all of their dishes. They as Indians eat with their hands. Food is normally served in Traditional Wooden Bowls.
Here is the list of foods that we tasted there.
1. EMA DATSHI (CHILLIES & CHEESE)
National and most Traditional dish of Bhutan which is cooked and ate in every house hold in Bhutan at almost all meals of the day. Just as its Dal-chawal/roti Subji for us Indians its Ema datshi and red rice for Bhutanese people.
Ema = Chillies and Datshi means Cheese. In Bhutan cheese mostly Yak cheese is consumed on a larger scale and its mixed with a variety of vegetables to make different versions of Datshi.
Bhutan produces some very spicy and hot chillies which makes Ema datshi an interesting dish to try when in Bhutan. I personally loved it so much that I tried the recipe when I was back. Check the recipe HERE
2. RED RICE
Staple food which is grown locally with glacier water and is served with almost every dish like different Datshi, curries, dals, pickles. Red rice is very healthy and full of nutrients.
3. KEWA DATSHI / SHAMU DATSHI / SAG DATSHI
Any vegetable when mixed with local cheese and made in to a curry becomes a datshi like:
— potatoes + cheese becomes kewa datshi,
— mushrooms + cheese becomes shamu datshi,
— leafy vegetables mostly spinach + cheese becomes Sag datshi.
These Datshi is served with rice and pickles.
4. SUJA – BHUTANESE BUTTER TEA
The most healthy and tasty drink to have at such high altitudes is Suja or butter tea. The tea is made with tea leaves, yak butter and milk with a pinch of salt. This tea tastes more like soup but in the cold, windy weather of Bhutan it feels very comforting to have this tea.
5. PUTA – BUCK WHEAT NOODLES
Simple noodles made with Buck wheat are very filling and way more healthy. It doesn’t have any taste of it’s own but these are served with Ema datshi or different curries and pickles which makes it tasty.
6. MOMOS (STEAMED/FRIED)
Rice flour/maida dumplings stuffed with panner, cheese or vegetables served with hot and spicy red chutney. The cheese momos here are to die for. The hot steaming momos is all you need after a tough day for sure when in Bhutan.
7. EZAY – RED SALSA TYPE PICKLE OR CHUTNEY
This is a side dish which looks like a salsa/sauce/chutney or a pickle. It is made from red chillies, onion, tomatoes and tastes similar to momo chutney but has a thick and coarse texture.
8. ARA – TRADITIONAL HARD BREWED DRINK OF BHUTAN
Fermented hard drink made from rice and millets, a very strong version of wine which if had more can make you topsy turvy. It has up to 16-17% of alcohol content making it a super hard drink. We liked it as it was needed in the extreme cold of that day. Traditionally Ara was served as a welcome drink to the guests and we had it at #simplybhutanmuseum in the most traditional glasses in most traditional way.
9. ZUMZIM PEACH WINE
This fresh, fruity peach wine is a must have when you are in Bhutan. It is mild and refreshing and compliments any food items. The colour and smell is perfect and its very easy on your pockets too.
10. JAJU SOUP – TRADITIONAL SOUP OF BHUTAN
It’s milk based vegetable soup made with loads of butter. Mostly spinach and turnips are used but any leafy vegetable available can be used in it. It is super delicious and light on stomach.
11. SEL ROTI & CURRY
we were so lucky that just outside the memoriam chorten in Thimphu, we could taste it as someone was distributing it as a Prasad to the worshippers. We got lucky to be at the right place at the right time and that’s why could taste this simple looking but delicious dish of Sel roti & curry.
Sel roti is a donut type fried rice flour mix and it’s served with simple potato curry. The roti has it’s origin in Nepal but in Bhutan too, it’s consumed on a large scale. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity.
12. THUKPA
Thukpa is a kind of noodle soup full of flavors. It has vegetables, noodles and mix of sauces giving it a distinct and strong flavors. It’s spicy and runny. Best for cold weathers.
13. KOKA – INSTANT NOODLES
Koka is local noodle brand which you can get easily anywhere. People staying in apartments/hostel can easily buy such packets and make noodles just by boiling.
14. PURI–BHAJI AND ALOO PARATHA
Though these dishes sound Indian, you will find it in most of the restaurants for breakfast. Puri (indian fried bread) and bhaji (potato curry) and aloo Paratha (potato stuffed flat bread) are filling and easily available dishes for vegetarians.
15. ZAOW GRAINS MOORI WITH MILK TEA – A TRADITIONAL WAY OF HAVING TEA
Zaow is a type of puffed rice which is like a popcorn but a very smaller version of it. Bhutanese people mix Zaow with butter and bit of salt and have with tea.
They usually put a handful of these Zaow grains on the top of the cup of tea and have it like that but I liked to eat them separately and then have a sip of Bhutanese Milk tea.
If you ever visit any local Bhutanese family, they will first greet you with this Zaow and Milk tea.
