Bhutanese Cuisine

The food of Bhutan has been famously referred to as "the world's worst cuisine"...a bold statement made by Ruth Reicl, editor of 'Gourmet' magazine. Based on my personal experience I can say with confidence that this statement is far from accurate. While the simplicity of Bhutanese fare may not receive much in the way of praise from the upper crust gourmands of the world, there is much to appreciate in this humble cuisine.

 

Rice is a main staple throughout the country, particularly in the west. It is very revealing that in Dzongkha (the national language of Bhutan) the word 'toh', meaning rice, also translates as food or meal. A meal just isn't considered complete around here without a large portion of rice! It is red rice that is cultivated in the country's high altitude valleys, and which has traditionally been considered an essential element of the Bhutanese diet. Increasingly, however, red rice is being substituted for white rice imported from India. On the downside, this has negative implications for both the local food system as well as the nutritional status of Bhutanese people, but on the upside I am quite sure it results in far fewer chipped and cracked teeth (the red rice I purchase at the local market requires a meticulous picking though to ensure that the majority of the small hidden rocks are removed prior to cooking...I am coming to understand the appeal of the packaged Indian rice enticingly labelled "Stone Free"!).

 

Buckwheat, wheat, barley, millet and corn are other staple grain foods, especially in the southern and Eastern reagions of Bhutan. Below you can see an abandoned stream-side mill (which Kevin and I happened upon during a recent rural excursion) that, at some point in the not too distant past, used stone wheels and water power for the grinding of grain.

Datshi is a common accompaniment to the ever present rice. Literally meaning 'cheese', datshi consists of vegetables (frequently potatoes 'kewa datchi', mushrooms 'shamu datshi' and/or chillies 'ema datshi') coated in a savoury cheese sauce...quite delicious! Dairy products play a pretty significant role in the diet, traditionally derived from yak, but more commonly these days sourced from cows. Some of you will be interested to know that the local dairy shops are lined with coolers filled with raw milk, buttermilk, cheese and yoghurt/curd.

Chugo is a popular type of homemade yak cheese (seen below being sold at the Paro farmer's market) which is dried, and sometimes smoked, as a means of preservation; small chunks of this cheese are then 'munched' on as a nourishing between meal snack. I have yet to try it, but I have been told that it's a somewhat strong and acquired taste. I have also been warned that it must be sucked on for a very long time to become softened before attempting to chew it as it is hard enough to break teeth in it's dried state!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, vegetables are often center stage on the Bhutanese table. The photo below was taken during a recent meal at the wonderful Folk Heritage Restaurant here in Thimpu, an establishment dedicated to serving organic, seasonal fare made using time tested traditional recipes. On this particular day we were treated to a feast of fresh asparagus, nakey (fiddleheads), beans, potatoes, cucumber salad and ema datshi...yum!

Fermented vegetables have also long been part of the Bhutanese diet. The cold winters and a short growing season in most of Bhutan has necessitated the use of various methods of preservation, fermentation and dehydration being widely used techniques. In local grocery stores I have found delicious pickles made of veggies such as radish, cabbage and bamboo shoots which are first fermented then soaked in oil & spices and used as a condiment. Gundruk is a name used for fermented leafy greens (from plants such as mustard and radish) which are first packed into earthenware jars to ferment and then sun-dried, after which they keep well for many months and are frequently used in soups. I have been experimenting with these at home...quite delicious! For fellow fermentation geeks out there, this book contains a wealth of information regarding the fermented foods of the Himalayas :)

Chillies, ema, feature prominently in Bhutanese cuisine. As Sonam Wangyal, the proprietor of the above mentioned Folk Heritage Restaurant, puts it...""We don't use chillies as a spice; we eat them like vegetables."  She's not kidding. I am continually amazed when I visit the vegetable market to see people buying them by the kilogram! Aside from the ever popular ema datshi, you will also find a pot of ezay (homemade chili sauce) served with every Bhutanese meal.

My favourite way to enjoy ezay is atop of momos, delicious steamed savoury dumplings filled most commonly with beef or (my favourite) cabbage and a little bit of fresh cheese. They are SO good. Everyone here has their own opinion regarding where to find the best momos in town, and I have been thoroughly my quest to come to my own conclusion on the subject!

Meat is commonly consumed by Bhutanese people, though the killing of animals is prohibited for the Buddhists that make up the majority of the population. A bit of a conundrum, yes? In my understanding, this is gotten around by importing meat from of India (most of the beef and dried fish on the market come in this way), as well as employing the non-Buddhist segment of the population to do the slaughtering of the chickens and pigs which are locally raised (approx. 30% of the population is ethnically Nepali, and are largely Hindu). Yak meat has also traditionally been a part of the Northern Bhutanese diet, a delicacy I have yet to taste for myself.

A Bhutanese meal is not complete without tea and/or ara to wash it all down. Ara is a home brewed 'firewater' fermented or distilled from whatever grain is locally available...typically rice, corn, millet or wheat. Suja, also known as 'butter tea', is a brew of black tea, milk and, yes, butter. It is rich, somewhat thick and salty...more akin to a savoury broth, in my opinion, than tea. My understanding is that cup after cup of this concoction has been a key factor in keeping the people of the Himalayas warm throughout the regions long, un(centrally)heated winters for many generations. I have tried it a couple of times, and have quite enjoyed it's potent flavour. Suja is also easily turned into a more filling snack by adding zow or seep, fried rice/corn crisps (think of hearty Rice Krispies/Corn Flakes) as seen below.

 

As much as I have been enjoying my exploration of Bhutanese cuisine, I am also grateful for the diversity of food choices available here in Thimphu. Many restaurants offer delicious Nepali and/or Indain dishes in addition to Bhutanese fare, and we are fortunate here in the cosmopolitan capitol of the country to have access to a selection of ethnically diverse eating establishments serving up tasty Japanese, Thai, Korean, Italian, 'American' and even Mexican options. Then there are the many creative, locally inspired meals we are preparing in our own small kitchen...

Needless to say, we are eating well :)