Bhutan’s rich culture and deep rooted tradition demands of Tendrel ceremony before commencing anything new, be it a business, a new project, a marriage or anything of high importance. The Tendrel ceremony is basically a ritual performed to have an auspicious and a positive beginning. Food plays a vital role in any rituals. Listed below is a list of foods only prepared for such special occasions.
Thuep
Strongly associated with celebrations like Losar (Bhutanese New Year), A Thuep is basically a rice porridge served early in the morning to every member and guests in the house. Similary during the Lochoe( annual ritual), the day is started by having Thuep. The method of preparing a Thuep includes, slow cooking the rice with lot of warm water and for taste enhancement; chili flakes, ginger and Sichuan pepper are added. Meat lovers will love some beef bones in their porridge and vegetarians will enjoy chunks of cottage cheese in their porridge.
Suja and Zaow
Suja is the butter and salt tea. In Bhutan, people are known to drink tea with every meal and though milk tea is also widely consumed, the butter tea is enjoyed and treated as special. It is customary to serve tea when a guest arrives. The tea is often accompanied by a snack called Zaow. The Zaow is basically puffed rice and it complements the butter tea perfectly. Sometime the Zaow is also mixed with butter, sugar and amaranth seeds for special occasions.
Desi
This sweet dish is served during rituals or special occasions. The dish is made of rice cooked with saffron, sugar and butter and sometimes nuts like almonds, cashew or even raisins are added to it to enhance the sweetness.