Bhutan food recipes and cuisine uses significant amounts of Red Rice – one of the few varieties that grow at high altitude, along with buckwheat and maize. Mountain people's diet includes poultry, yak meat, dried beef, pork, pork fat and mutton.
Soups and stews are very popular, and incorporate meats, rice, ferns, lentils, dried vegetables and spiced with chili peppers, especially during the winter months.
Zow shungo, a rice dish, is mixed with leftover vegetables. The spicy ema datshi is made with cheese and chili peppers, is endemic. Its sometimes referred to as the national dish due to the pride that Bhutanese have in it.
Popular snacks include momo (dumplings), shakam eezay and liver, whilst dairy foods such as butter and cheese produced from both yak and cow's milk are eaten regularly. Spices used in Bhutanese recipes include; cardamom, ginger, chili peppers, Sichuan pepper, garlic, turmeric and caraway.
Bhutan Food Recipes & Cuisine
Ema Datshi Cucumbers With Onion And Cheeses Kewa Datshi Hapai Hantue Kamrupi Biriyani Ema Datshi Ah, what better way to start this page than with a recipe for ema datshi. Some say that if you have been to Bhutan but have not eaten ema datshi then you have not been to Bhutan. This dish is … Read more Bhutan Vegetarian Recipes
Pork, beef and chicken are the meats most often eaten in Bhutan, along with an array of vegetables such as; Spinach, pumpkins, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, river weed, onions and green beans. Grains such as rice, buckwheat and barley are also cultivated, depending on the local micro-climate. Rice is a staple part of a Bhutanese meal, usually accompanied … Read more Bhutan Meat Recipes
Religion & Culture The State religion is Drukpa Kagyupa a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. It has been institutionalised in the Dratshang (Central Monk body), headed by the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot) who is chosen from among the most learned lamas and enjoys an equal rank with the King. Bhutan is the only country in the … Read more Bhutan Religion & Food Culture
PRACTICALITIES The Royal Government of Bhutan has adopted a very cautious approach to the development of tourism in the kingdom in an effort to avoid the negative impacts of tourism on the culture and the environment. In 1997, the number of tourists who visited Bhutan reached 5,361. Visitors to Bhutan must either be guests of … Read more Bhutan Country Info
The Population The Bhutanese population of over 600,000 comprises of multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society. The extreme north east is a home to the Brokpas, the semi-nomads of the villages of Merak and Sakteng who thrive on rearing yaks and sheep. They speak Bro-kad, the language of the Brokpas. In summer they move to the pastures … Read more Bhutan People & Society
There are two main languages in Bhutan. Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan spoken in most parts of Bhutan and Nepali is spoken by the people of southern Bhutan who are of Nepalese origin. Dzongkha, the official language of Bhutan, has been derived from the Tibetan language. It has some similarity to Tibetan in … Read more Bhutan Language
The festivals in Bhutan have reputations for being raucous, joyous affairs. The most popular for tourists are those held in Thimphu, Paro and Bumthang . They mark the busiest time of the year for the tourism industry. Airplane tickets and hotel rooms are frequently difficult to come by. The dzongs come to life with color, … Read more Bhutan Traditional Festivals
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008 Bhutan is a hereditary monarchy with a population of approximately 700,000. In 2005 King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced plans for a new constitution and in 2006 transferred power to his son, Crown Prince Jigme … Read more Bhutan Human Rights