Bhutan's Spicy Food Scene: A Guide to Eating in Bhutan

One of the great delights of traveling anywhere in the world is trying the local food and Bhutan is no exception. Squished between giant neighbours India and Tibet (China), you might expect the Bhutanese kitchen to be much influenced by Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese cuisine. While there’s some truth to this (Indian food in particular is a staple of any tourist-class restaurant), it’s really only a half-truth. The rugged terrain has meant that for centuries Bhutan has been so isolated from the outside world that it’s had the time to develop its own unique cuisine.

Bhutanese chefs also have a wide variety of fresh produce to choose from. Within Bhutan’s dainty borders can be found an enormous geographic and climatic variety. Its lowest point is a mere 97 metres (318ft) above sea level and its highest is 7570 meters (24,836ft). As well as great altitude differences, Bhutan is also blessed with ample rainfall and lots of sunshine. And this means that the farmers of Bhutan can grow virtually anything you care to think of. From mangoes to apples, cabbages to rice, Bhutanese cooks have a botanical bonanza to choose from.

All this means that savouring Bhutan’s varied and unique cuisine is likely to be one of the unexpected joys of travelling in Bhutan.  In this article we take you inside Bhutan’s spicy foody scene to reveal what’s on your plate and what makes it special.

Spice is nice – for some

We hope you like your food with a kick because if there’s one single thing that unites all Bhutanese it’s a love of chili. Reading this you might be thinking “That’s okay. I’ve been in Nepal and India. I love spicy food”. But be forewarned! Compared to many Bhutanese dishes most Indian food tastes as tame as yogurt!  The good news for those who approach spice with caution is that Bhutanese cooks are generally fully aware that the rest of the world doesn’t always share their love for food so full of chili that it can bring tears to the eye.

This means that dishes prepared for foreigners are normally a very toned-down version of what your Bhutanese companions will likely be eating. If you want to try the real deal versions, then simply ask the chef to make it like they would for a Bhutanese person. Another time when you’ll likely get given a meal that’s not been toned down is if you stop to eat in a roadside restaurant during a long car journey.

The dining experience

Due to the nature of tourism in Bhutan you will normally eat dinner and breakfast in your hotel while lunch will be taken in a tourist-class restaurant. Often, lunch and dinner will be a buffet style affair with multiple dishes to choose from though many of them will be Indian or Chinese, with just a smattering of truly local dishes. If you’re staying in a guesthouse or homestay then getting to eat local food is much easier.

Simply tell your hosts that you’d like to eat Bhutanese food and you can be sure that a delighted smile will sweep across your hosts face. Other ways of ensuring that you get to eat Bhutanese food is to ask your guide if you can eat lunch in local style places and, when in Paro or Thimpu (the only real places that can be described as towns with a proper dining scene), break away from the hotel restaurants and head out to eat in a proper restaurant.

What to eat in Bhutan

Bhutan offers a unique culinary experience, blending bold flavors and fresh ingredients. The must-try national dish, Ema Datshi, features chili and cheese, a spicy staple of Bhutanese cuisine. Relish hearty Phaksha Paa (pork with chilies), comforting Suja (butter tea), and delicious Momos (dumplings). Don’t miss Red Rice and Jasha Maroo (spicy chicken stew). Bhutan’s food reflects its culture—simple, flavorful, and deeply satisfying for every traveler.

Ema datshi

Ema datshi is the national dish of Bhutan. In fact, you can sometimes get the impression that for some Bhutanese ema datshi is the only thing worth eating – with red rice of course. Ema datshi is a strange beast. It’s essentially a cheese and chili curry complete with a generous helping of tomato and onion. The cheese, which is in a soup-like liquid form, is either cow or yak cheese (yak cheese having a decidedly unusual taste) and its generously sprinkled in chili.

Very, very spicy chili. The idea is that the cheese neutralises the chili a bit, which is a good thing because even with this neutralisation effect a proper ema datshi can be so spicy it can cause tears to well up in the eyes of the unaccustomed!

Red rice

Rice is eaten for pretty much every meal in Bhutan and although you can get white rice the Bhutanese prefer their rice to be red. Red rice is grown in the Paro Valley but is eaten countrywide. It has a stickier texture than white rice and a richer flavour. It’s also supposed to be much healthier than white rice due to the concentration of minerals contained within it which includes anthocyanin which is said to be a cancer-fighting antioxidant.

Phaksha paa

A great one for cold winter days. Phaksha paa is a thick and filling stew made with slow-cooked boneless pork, radish, ginger, onion and – of course – red chili. Plenty of chili. Unlike in most other Bhutanese dishes, the chilis are served whole which gives it a very catchy look. This can be hard to come by in standard tourist hotel restaurants. The best way to get to try it is by staying in a homestay and specifically requesting it at least a day in advance.

Jasha Maroo

Commonly served in restaurants across the land, this is a melange of onion, garlic, tomato, on-the-bone chicken (sometimes beef) and, the ingredient that rarely makes an appearance in South Asian cuisine, leeks. It’s served in a broth-like sauce with oodles of red rice. And yes. You guessed it. It’s laced in chili.

Momos

A classic snack or light lunch that’s found throughout much of the Himalaya and Tibet. Momos, which are similar to Chinese steamed dumplings, are normally stuffed with beef or pork (sometimes even yak) or you can get vegetarian versions.

Momo’s are great for the less adventurous traveller (or those who just want a snack). Unlike other well-known Bhutanese dishes these go light on the chili, but to make up for this they’re normally served with ezay, a fiery chili sauce that you dip the momos into. Unlike in Nepal, momos in Bhutan are almost universally steamed. Deep fried versions are much harder to find. Also, unlike Nepal, they don’t yet come in dessert form stuffed with apple or chocolate!

Dried meat

Rare in hotel restaurants but common in restaurants aimed at local people, dried meat (beef or yak) is that chewy and slightly strange-tasting item in your meal that you can’t always pinpoint. In the not-so-distant past, when fridges and even electricity were non-existent in Bhutan, it was common to dry meat as a way of preserving it. It can either be added as it is to a dish (which is when it’s really chewy) or rehydrated which makes it a little softer and more palatable.

Local food specialties in Bhutan

Bhutan’s culinary scene is a delightful reflection of its rich culture and traditions. Known for bold and spicy flavors, the food is both hearty and deeply satisfying. Here are some of the must-try local specialties that showcase the best of Bhutanese cuisine

Hoentay

The beautiful Haa valley’s take on momos. These tasteful little packets are made using buckwheat flour which gives the momo a brown colour and a much more textured and interesting taste. They’re also normally stuffed with spinach or turnip leaves and cheese. Just like normal momos they’re served with ezay chili sauce.

Shakam shukam datshi

Normally only found in the Thimpu valley, although even here it’s rare to be served it and so you’ll probably have to specially request it. This is a variation on the classic ema datshi dish except that instead of red chilis it uses white chilis and also includes cubes of dried beef, which melt into the cheese sauce. The white chilis give the dish a unique, sour taste, which works well with the spiciness of it all.

Kuli and puta

Bumthang, the cultural heartland of Bhutan, is also something of a culinary center. Buckwheat is used extensively in Bumthang cooking and two classic dishes of the valley are kuli, which are buckwheat pancakes, and puta, which are buckwheat noodles eaten alongside spicy side dishes. Not exactly a specialty of Bumthang, but certainly the only place you can get it in Bhutan is fondue. Yes, you read that correctly, that classic Swiss dish of melted cheese that you dip potatoes into it. It’s only served at the Swiss Guesthouse which, as the name suggests, is run by a Bhutanese-Swiss couple.

Did you know?

Bhutan’s strong spiritual soul means that most Bhutanese do all they can to avoid harming any other living creature. Buddhist thought encourages practitioners to try and save any animal destined for slaughter.

However, many Bhutanese are quite partial to meat and this presents them with a problem. How to eat meat without compromising their Buddhist beliefs? The answer turns out to be highly practical if a little bit hypocritical. Most meat and fish is actually imported from other countries!

Vegetarians

Due to Buddhist doctrine frowning upon the consumption of meat, it should be easy to travel in Bhutan as a vegetarian. However, what religious doctrine says and what people actually do are not always in line with one and other. This means that meat is commonly eaten and that even apparently vegetarian dishes might contain traces of meat.

If you’re a vegetarian or have other dietary requirements then make these clear to your guide and at anywhere, you’ll be staying.