Food, or why there aren't Bhutanese restaurants in the U.S.

Let me say at the outset that I have by and large enjoyed eating here. Food has been wholesome, I haven't gotten sick, and once the taste is acquired, is fairly enjoyable. On the other hand, once a week I go for pizza, or Thai, or Indian.

Bhutanese cuisine is a mix of Tibetan, native Bhutanese, and Indian. reflecting the geographic and ethnic makeup of the country. Many dishes here are quite hot. The main condiment is a crushed red pepper sauce:

 The national dish is ema datse, which is chilies eaten as a vegetable, smothered in a cheese sauce.  This is not disgusting, and is an easily acquired taste. The chilies are not Scotch Bonnet grade, more like jalapeno's or a little less spicy. No other condiments, save for some salt and some garlic. When done properly,  you can taste the flavor of the chilies as well as their hotness.




 The "datse" suffix can be applied to most anything. Another common dish is kewa datse, potatoes and chilies in cheese sauce.

Quite delicious, actually. There is mushroom datse, green bean datse, pretty much anything. When I was at Damcho's house, the ema datse had some dried beef in it (dried beef is more popular than fresh. Sort of like beef jerky without any salt or spices. Again, not bad at all once you get used to it.)

Rice is another staple. The Bhutanese like both standard white rice as well as red rice, a local specialty that tastes very much like brown rice but cooks much more easily:




 Subtly flavored white rice is also served regularly:





 Chopped leafy vegetables sauteed are also pretty common:



 I didn't have any chicken at the meal I photographed, but typically it's just hacked into pieces without filleting, and cooked in a variety of sauces.

Eggs are used extensively, because they are inexpensive, in good supply, and are considered by some to be vegetarian fare. I don't know the name of this dish:



Meat is a little strange. Pork is very much enjoyed. Typically is a bacon type cut, with the rind and fat attached, and some meat as well. Eating fat in this climate makes sense, and given that people burn lots and lots of calories staying warm and working, perhaps it can be forgiven. I'm not sure the picture shows the pork well. The round slices are a kind of root, looking something like daikon. Mild, tasty. The pork dish was actually quite good:






 This beef dish below is probably of some Tibetan influence, guessing this because of the noodles. Spicy. Even though this was a high end tourist restaurant, the beef is stringy and full of gristle. Quite tasty:

 I didn't include pictures of thukpa, a delicious Tibetan noodle soup, or momos, dumplings that are filled with cheese or beef. They are a wonderful snack, eaten with hot sauce.  I'll definitely get a picture and update this entry.  Indian items such as nan (bread), roti (bread), samosas (fried pastry filled with potato or vegetables), pakoras (vegetable fritters), curries, Indian cheese (paneer), biryanis (rice dishes), dahl (lentils) and Indian style prepared cauliflower and spinach  are also commonly on the menu.

Even though the Bhutanese cuisine is tasty, it is a little repetitive and takes some getting used to. I wasn't kidding about the U.S. restaurants. The majority of patrons would come in once, try the menu, and not come back because it was so heavy and so unusual. Given some time and no other options, I've grown to enjoy it.

I'm getting hungry. Time to go out for lunch!!

Back from lunch. Here are the momos:

Yum!  Momos in the middle, chili sauce at top, and sweet milk tea to the left. 

 What a great meal.