Bhutan is a tiny nation sandwiched between two cultural giants, overly-populated and developed countries like China to its north and India to its south. The hermit country spent most of its past in self imposed isolation which gave birth to a unique culture and its food culture is no different.
Bhutan has a wide assortment of traditional gastronomic recipes. Mainly due to isolation and geographical landscape, most regions developed their own food cultures and adopted few specialties as their own. In the western part of Bhutan, rice was the main staple food whereas in eastern Bhutan, corn was the main staple crop. And those in the south normally consumed maize or millet as the main food. In high altitudes or cold places such as Bumthang and Haa, buckwheat, wheat, and barley are dominant.
Today due to the development of new technologies used in farming and due to the exposure and network between regions and communities, some dishes really got the recognition they deserve and are now celebrated as the some of the popular dishes in Bhutan. A dish is considered incomplete without some spicy chilies and Bhutanese love their chilies hot. Listed below are some of the must try Bhutanese dishes including the infamous Ema Datshi.
1. Ema Datshi
The literal translation of Ema Datshi would be Chili and cheese, Ema means chili and Datshi is cheese. This dish has rather the whole country falling in love with its simplicity and its rich taste and is often labeled as the national dish of Bhutan. While every home has their own method of preparing the dish, the most common and easiest way is to cook the chilies in a rich sauce of cheese and butter. The other variations may include adding of spring onions, tomatoes or garlic. The ones who love Ema Datshi but cannot deal with its heat try to tone it down by adding other vegetables like potato, mushroom or beans making it Kewa Datshi, Shamu Datshi or Semchum Datshi respectively. But it is not limited to these vegetables so basically one can add any vegetable he prefers.
2. Shakam Paa
The Shakam Paa is dried beef cooked with whole chilies and vegetables, usually dry and In olden days it was difficult to preserve meat without refrigerators so people left them in cold airy places for preservation. The dried meats are then sometimes beaten and eaten raw with a variety of chili sauces during special occasions like annual rituals performed in every Bhutanese house.
3. Sikkam Paa
The Sikkam Paa is basically desiccated pork. Strips of thinly sliced pork meat are left in an airy, cold room till it is dried and desiccated, which is then cooked with various spices like whole dried red chili peppers, onion, tomato, spring onion, ginger and also vegetables depending on taste preferences.
4. Jasha Maru
This Dish is made of chicken and often has a lot of juicy sauce to accompany it. The sauce usually consists of spices like garlic, ginger and chili flakes. The dish is enjoyed by all age groups and is often served as one of the main dishes at an important occasion.
5. Ezay
An Ezay is basically a side dish or a condiment. It has the texture and characteristics of a salsa. There are several ways to make an Ezay. There isn’t a standard way to make an Ezay. Every house has a recipe of its own. Some like the Ezay made with burnt dried red chilies, roasted tree tomatoes, onions, coriander, spring onion and Sichuan pepper, while some like the one made with fresh green chilies, onion, tomatoes, coriander and cheese.