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Bhutanese Recipes

6 recipes

Bhutanese food is simple, hearty and built around chili. Chili is a vegetable here, not a seasoning, and it is cooked by the handful, fresh or dried, in dishes meant to be fiery. The usual meal pairs red rice, grown in high valleys, with two or three side dishes such as ema datshi (chilies in cheese), pork with dried chilies, or a potato or mushroom stew. Datshi, a soft farm cheese made from cow's or yak's milk, is the base of many dishes. Buckwheat is the main grain in the cooler central and western valleys, turned into noodles, pancakes and dumplings, while maize and wheat fill in elsewhere. Pork, beef, yak meat and chicken are eaten, often dried or cured for winter. Butter tea (suja) is served to every guest, and rice spirit called ara appears at festivals. Vegetarian dishes are common, and meals are shared from bowls and platters.

Staple ingredients

Main Dishes

Snacks

Drinks

Common questions

What is Bhutanese food known for?

Ema datshi (chilies in cheese sauce), red rice, dried pork with chilies, momo dumplings and butter tea. Chilies are treated as the main vegetable, so many dishes are very hot.

What is the national dish of Bhutan?

Ema datshi, a stew of fresh or dried chilies simmered with soft cheese. It is eaten with red rice almost every day.

Is Bhutanese food spicy?

Yes, it is among the hottest in the world. Cooks add chilies by the handful, though you can cut the heat at home by using milder peppers and removing the seeds.