Bhutan can be a pleasant delight for those who want to try out unique types of food. The Bhutanese cuisine is characterised by spicy chillies. Any traditional dish without a generous dose of chillies would not appeal to the Bhutanese palate.
Bhutan boasts of a number of traditional specialists that foreigners might be interested in trying out. Some of them are:
Ema datshi: this dish of chilli (fresh or dried) with fresh cottage cheese has universal appeal in Bhutan. It’s prepared and relished everywhere in Bhutan, from a humble home to a five-star hotel.
Khulay: this buckwheat specialty of Bumthang region comes in the form of pancakes. It’s eaten with ema datshi or other curries. It’s healthy and wholesome.
Puta: this home-made buckwheat noodles mixed with chilli, egg, and other ingredients is another specialty of Bumthang. It’s healthy and easy to prepare.
Hoentoe: this buckwheat dumpling filled with dried turnip leaves is the specialty of Haa district in the west. It is prepared during the yearly festival of Lomba celebrated in Haa and Paro districts.
Apart from the above specialties, one can try out other typically Bhutanese dishes such as goep paa (fried tripe), sikam paa (fried air-dried pork), shakam paa (fried dried beef), jasha maru (minced chicken curry), and nyasha maru (minced fish curry). All of these dishes are eaten with generous amounts of Bhutanese white rice or red rice.