DIFFERENT AUTHENTIC BHUTANESE CUISINE

Bhutan remained isolated from the world and hence escaped the chain of the fast-food. Believe it or not, there is no Macdonald, Subway, Starbucks, and other food franchised restaurants and cafes in Bhutan. However, Bhutan offers a rich, diverse, and very interesting culinary experience. There is different cuisine from different local places. For example, the people from Haa are well known for Honetey and southern Bhutanese (Lhotsampas) mark auspicious day by serving shell roti cuisine from different local places.

Bhutanese food is unlikely any other food you will ever eat. The local cuisine has been able to maintain its unique character like the country itself. The cuisines are less oily than Chinese or Indian food and spicier than most Tibetan dishes Chilies are an essential part of nearly every dish and are considered so important that most Bhutanese people would not enjoy a meal that was not spicy. The Bhutanese believe that it is a badge of honor to eat as spicy food as possible. Many Bhutanese grow chilies and red chilies are harvested in September and October, and this is the period when many roofs in villages and towns turn red. To dry peppers, people place them on roofs of a house, which look almost like flowers on the first glimpse.

Most Bhutanese meals are basic, simple, and easy to cook and involved mostly local ingredients. Rearing cattle and dairy products spiced up most dishes. Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from Yaks and Cows, are popular and indeed almost all milk is turned into butter and Cheese (Datshi) Popular snacks include Momo (Bhutanese Dumpling), Khabzay (Dried fritters made with flour, water, sugar, which are then deep-fried), Shabalay, Juma (Bhutanese Sausages marinated in spices) and Noodles. Restaurants in the country can serve Chinese, Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian foods, and in recent years Korean restaurants have opened due to the increasing popularity of Korean popular culture in the country.

Popular Beverages include butter tea prepared using tea leaf, Salt, and fresh butter (called Suja), milk tea (called Ngaja), locally brewed Ara (Rice wine) which is common in Eastern parts of Bhutan. The districts of Mongar, Lhuntse, Tashi Yangtse, Tashigang, and Samdrup Jongkhar constitute the eastern circuits. The one-stop-shop for authentic Bhutanese food is at Simply Bhutan and Folk Heritage, must try here is Ara (Local Wine) and Suja (Butter tea).

In terms of beverages, people living in rural villages brew some of the best alcoholic beverages from rice, maize, millet, and wheat. In Bhutan not only people consume alcohol but in eastern Bhutan, it is the main item used during liberation (Serkem) and other religious occasions.

There is also Bhutanese manufactured wine such as Zumzin, Raven, and Takin, due to its popularity, the made in Bhutan winery's and alcoholic beverages are sold online.

TYPES OF AUTHENTIC BHUTANESE CUISINE (FOOD OF BHUTAN)

EMA DATSHI (CHILLIES AND CHEESE)

If you haven't eaten ema datshi, you haven't been to Bhutan. Ema Datshi is made of green, yellow (Boiled dried chilies) or red chilies (Dried Chillies), onions, tomatoes, and cooked with milk cheese (Datshi which is Bhutanese cheese). Although the basic ingredients remain the same, every cook has their version, some watery with more sticky with cheese and some dry with more cheese.

KEWA DATSHI (POTATOES AND BHUTANESE CHEESE)

The potatoes are typically sliced into thin round pieces and then sauteed down with Bhutanese cheese (Datshi). Some cooks adding tomatoes, Garlic, and Onion, and some they used to use only potatoes and cheese.

SHAMU DATSHI (MUSHROOMS AND CHEESE)

The mushrooms, which can be any variety of local Bhutanese mushroom, are again, cooked into cheesy using Bhutanese Cheese (Datshi).

SHAKAM EMA DATSHI (DRIED BEEF WITH CHILLIES AND CHEESE)

Shakam is Bhutanese dried beef, which is among the most famous of meats. For Shakam ema datshi, dried beef is cut into bite-sized pieces and simmered cheese.

SHAKAM PAA (DRIED BEEF, CHILLIES, AND RADISH)

Shakam Paa is a Bhutanese cuisine of dried beef cooked with dried chilies and slices of radish. It is mostly cooked in a pot and served alongside a portion of rice.

PHAKSHA PAA (PORK WITH RED CHILLIES)

For Phaksha paa, slices of pork are stir-fried with whole red dry Chillies. When finished, the stew is stopped by adding red chili powder and served with red rice.

SIKAM PAA (BHUTANESE BACON)

This is a dish that much Bhutanese love. You will see strands of half-transparent pork belly hanging in the sun to dry - that is known as Sikam. The pork, which has quite an impressive ratio of fat, is dried in the sun. For Sikam paa, the dried pork is then fried up with dried chilies. This dish is very famous in Bhutan.

YAKSHA SHAKAM (DRIED YAK)

Yaksha Shakam's taste is similar tasting to beef. For YakshaShakam, the yak meat is dried into jerky meat and it can be cooked in many different ways like by adding cheese, beans, and spring onion.

JUMA (BHUTANESE SAUSAGE)

Juma is a type of common Bhutanese sausage made with minced meat, rice, and some light spices all filled into an intestine wrapper. It's available either Beef or Pork Juma.

GONDO DATSHI (EGG AND CHEESE MIXED)

Eggs are scrambled up with datshi (Cheese) and a huge amount of butter, spring onion, and some chill flakes are added. The result is a very condensed scrambled egg cheese mixture that is butter and packed with heartiness.

JASHA MARU (SPICY CHICKEN)

For Jasha Maru chilies, onion, tomato, garlic, coriander leaves, and ginger are usually made with finely diced chicken. In Jasha Maru, the ginger is what gives this dish its essence.

MOMOS (DUMPLING)

For Jasha Maru chilies, onion, tomato, garlic, coriander leaves, and ginger are usually made with finely diced chicken. In Jasha Maru, the ginger is what gives this dish its essence.

HOENTAY

Hoentay originates from the Haa Valley of Bhutan and it is similar to momos, but they are made with a buckwheat dough wrapper. The Hoentay are usually filled with a combination of local spinach or turnip leaves and cheese, and they can be either fried or steamed.

LOM

Lom, which is turnip leaves, is one of the few vegetables that can be dried and preserved and eaten throughout the year. Lom can be prepared in different ways like cooked with some Sikam (Dried pork) to give it some extra delicious flavor or fried with potatoes.

JAJU (TRADITIONAL BHUTANESE SOUP)

Jaju is a traditional Bhutanese soup. It's often made with some type of local spinach, turnip leaves, or Bamboo shoot. The soup broth consists of milk and butter.

GOEN HOGAY (BHUTANESE CUCUMBER SALAD)

Goen Hogay is a traditional Bhutanese cucumber salad. Cucumber is sliced up and mixed with chili flakes, onions, Sichuan pepper and local Datshi (Cheese)

KHUR-LE (BUCKWHEAT PANCAKE)

Khur-le is a Bhutanese pancake made from buckwheat, wheat, or barley flour. It serves as a good combination of other Bhutanese dishes like ema datshi or with Ezay (chili sauce). They have a spongy texture but are a bit more hearty and filling.

PUTA (BUCKWHEAT NOODLES)

Buckwheat is eaten mainly in Bumthang. Puta are noodles made from highly nutritious buckwheat that can be grown in high altitudes. For Puta, the noodles are prepared and boiled, and sometimes before being served the noodles are stir-fried in mustard oil along with a light seasoning of salt and Sichuan pepper.

TSHAMPA (FLOUR DOUGH)

Tshampa is a traditional Bhutanese food. It is dough made from wheat flour. To eat Tshampa, you can roll it into a ball in your fingers, and eat it together with ema datshi, Ezay or Shakam Paa.

ZAOW (CRUNCHY RICE SNACK)

Zaow is a Bhutanese snack food that is very common and it goes well together with a cup of milk tea or Butter Tea (Suja). Zaow is not too puffy but more on the crunchy side rather than the puffy side.

CHOGO (CHHURPI)

This dried yak cheese, it's so hard you have to gnaw on it for hours before it starts to dissolve on your tongue. It's the type of snack you eat when you are walking through the rugged mountains and you need to be chewing. You will see strands of chagoo hanging like necklaces around markets in Bhutan.

EZAY (CHILLI SAUCE)

In Bhutan, ezay is so mandatory to eat with every meal. Everyone in Bhutan has its recipe and combination of ingredients. For example, the combination of dried chilies, Sichuan pepper, tree tomato, and sprinkle cheese will make delicious ezay.

ARA (TRADITIONAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE)

Ara is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Bhutan. It is made by fermenting or distilling rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley, and is usually creamy or clear in appearance. Sometime Ara is also heated with butter and eggs to make it a more wholesome beverage.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most enchanting and most culturally preserved nations in the world. Although Bhutanese food is little known outside of Bhutan, it’s the cuisine that if you have the chance, and if you love to eat, you are going to explore.

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