Bhutanese Cuisine

[amelia88]

I don't know a lot about the cuisine in Bhutan - I'm curious to know if anyone else here knows much about it?

I'm wondering mainly if it's similar to Indian/Nepalese cuisine in that there's a lot of curries - or is it completely different?

Is there a signature Bhutanese dish that would be known as their national dish?

 

[tri-n-b-helpful]

I just had to go to the Official Site of the National Tourism Organization of Bhutan to check... and my guess was right! The National Dish is totally vegetarian and the main staple is rice! They have been intentionally heading in that direction for a long time. The Ema Datshi is listed as the National Dish. It's a mix of chilli and local Datshi cheese. They add in green beans, ferns and mushrooms for variety on occasion, depending on seasonal availability. And you were right to say about the spiciness of the food; if it's not spicy, most people won't eat it!

 

[Rayne]

I had to look up the Datshi cheese because I love cheese. It's much like feta and can be used in many dishes. The Ema Datshi dish looks very spicy indeed:

 

[amelia88]

I just had to go to the Official Site of the National Tourism Organization of Bhutan to check... and my guess was right! The National Dish is totally vegetarian and the main staple is rice! They have been intentionally heading in that direction for a long time. The Ema Datshi is listed as the National Dish. It's a mix of chilli and local Datshi cheese. They add in green beans, ferns and mushrooms for variety on occasion, depending on seasonal availability. And you were right to say about the spiciness of the food; if it's not spicy, most people won't eat it!

A cheese and chilli dish sounds interesting, that's for sure! I looked up the name of the dish and there's a YouTube video on how to make it - I might have to give it a try! If I can't get to Bhutan anytime soon the least I can do is try their cuisine, right?

 

[tri-n-b-helpful]

Ah, now that's a good idea! If you start off with just a little tiny bit of chilli in the first batch, then you can work your way up to the "super spicy" level of Bhutan, maybe over a period of several weeks! Of course, if you're a spice girl, then there's probably no need for this. I'm not too sure how you will go getting hold of the Datshi Cheese, but I hear America has lots of things from all over the world and if you can't find any locally, you then have ways and means of getting some or finding someone who makes it or follow online recipes. It might be expensive that way, but I understand the taste and nutrient value of the locally made stuff is far superior than the imitations, but I guess you need to start somewhere.

 

[Elaine]

This Datshi dish sounds yummy. I am not very keen on rice though, but I love mixed vegetables and I really enjoy eating spicy food.

 

[Aidan]

This sounds delicious, but I think I would go with the not so spicy option as I am very sensitive to hot foods. I love rice though.

 

[jnorth88]

I have heard that it is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, so if you like Chinese food you should do well in Bhutan. Lots of white or red rice, and cheese, as well. I expect that is goat cheese, but I don't know for sure.