For The Love Of Food
There are some dishes that you simply must sample when in Bhutan. While every region has its own specialty, we’ve tapered it down to seven dishes that are a hit with our guests. It would be unjust to not begin with the most sought after dish in Bhutan – ema datshi. The more you sample this dish in the various places you visit the more you’ll realize that no two ema datshis taste the same. Suffice to say, every cook has his own version. But what you must also absolutely try is shamu (mushroom) datshi.
Then, there is shakam paa. It is a regular feature at Bhutanese restaurants and homes. It is dried beef cooked with dried chilies, radish or other green veggies like beans or spinach.
Along with beef and yak, pork is also widely eaten throughout Bhutan. So, for our next dish of phaksha or sikam paa, slices of pork (fresh or dried) are cooked with whole dried red chilies with seasonal vegetables added in the mix as well. The result is another staple Bhutanese dish that goes great with rice when served in with say shamu datshi.
If there’s meat that can be better than dried beef then it’s got to be dried yak meat. For yaksha shakam, the yak meat is cut into sizable pieces and it can be cooked in a number of different ways. Sometimes, dried yak meat is also cooked with fermented yak cheese and served.
At number five is jasha maru, a Bhutanese chicken stew. One aspect of the Bhutanese jasha maru is the noticeable taste of ginger. The actual dry spice flavor is quite mild, but the ginger is what really gives this dish its essence.
Hoentay, a dish from the Haa Valley in Bhutan makes it to our number six spot. It is similar to momos but made out of buckwheat. The dumplings are usually filled with a combination of local spinach or turnip leaves and cheese, and again, they can either be steamed or fried.
Hoentay is filling and is especially good when dipped in Bhutanese chili sauce or ezay.
Lastly, jaju is a Bhutanese milk and vegetable soup. It’s often made with local spinach or turnip leaves or any number of light leafy vegetables. The soup broth consists of milk and butter. Overall, the taste is usually quite mellow and plain, but it goes well together to supplement a full Bhutanese feast.