Grocery Shopping in Thimpu

I don't know about the rest of you, but one of the first things I am inspired to do when getting to know a new neighbourhood, city or country is figure out where the good food is at :)

I am fortunate that Kevin has lived here in Thimphu for several months now, so he's done a lot of the leg work already and has been showing me around to his favourite markets and restaurants. Vegetables are a main focus of Bhutanese food and are, in one form or another, the centerpiece of most meals. Now that I have been here a little while, and seen the abundance of beautiful veggies growing in rural and urban areas alike, I can see why! We have a great little kitchen in our apartment so it's been fun experimenting with local produce and simultaneously attuning to my new environment by eating a delicious array of fresh, seasonal, locally grown foods.

Grocery shopping in Thimphu is a bit of an adventure, as well as somewhat of a treasure hunt. Our (and most every Thimphu residents) primary go-to source for the above mentioned fresh produce is the fabulous weekend farmer's market which takes place from Friday to Sunday each week, year round. As some of you may already know, Bhutan has recently announced plans to become 100% organic in it's agricultural practices, a reflection of the country's focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship in it's approach to development. The reality at the farmer's market, however, is that half of the produce being sold there is imported from Bhutan's southern neighbour India. I have learned that the key is sticking to the top floor of the market which is fully dedicated to locally grown/produced foodstuffs.

Farmers from nearby valleys travel in each week to share the fruits of their labour, both cultivated and wild-harvested, including vegetables, fruits, herbs (culinary and medicinal), honey, grains (red rice, barley and buckwheat are the primary local cereal crops), legumes, eggs, dairy products and meats. 

As the weather is warming up, the veggie main staples of cabbage and potatoes are giving way to a more diverse array of produce...the seasonal highlights at the moment are asparagus, wild fiddleheads & mushrooms, mint, cilantro, spring onions, a variety of leafy greens...and on the fruit front we have been enjoying the first peaches of the year from the neighbouring (sub-tropical) Punakha valley, as well as the tasty (and tart!) tiny red plums seen below.

The concept of the 'one stop shop' grocery store as we know it in North America is still relatively unknown here in Bhutan. Aside from the weekend farmer's market, there are many neighbourhood shops that exclusively sell meat, dairy products or produce, such as these underground vegetable markets which line a Thimphu side street known as, for some reason unbeknownst to me, "Hong Kong Market".

On occasion you can also find vendors set up on random street corners selling their fresh wares...

There are also a large number of shops selling (the increasingly popular) imported food products, shipped in primarily from India and Thailand, and it is these markets that Kevin & I visit for our supplemental luxury items such as rice noodles, coconut milk, unrefined cane sugar and certain spices (though there are a few fabulous locally grown/produced spice options available from this wonderful company). Being here has certainly heightened my awareness of what a wide range of foods we have access to in North America, where it is not uncommon to fill one's grocery cart with products and produce from around the world, or eat the cuisine of a different culture each night of the week. Living in Bhutan has really brought the concept of 'eating/buying local' to a new level of reality for me! 

There are definitely certain things that I am missing from 'back home' (such as quinoa, and my favourite sourdough barley bread from the European Breads bakery in East Van), but all in all I am enjoying the experience of shopping for and eating food here very much (big surprise there!) :)  I have connected with some really great people and experienced some really unique flavours along the way, and I look forward to discovering more of the culinary gems that I know are hidden away here in the winding streets of Thimphu...