Bhutani Cuisine

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Bhutan- Cooking and Food

Overview of Bhutani Cuisine History


The country of Bhutan which seems to hide between the Himalaya Mountains, has always been a place characterized by magic, mystery and beauty. There is no doubt that the magnificent Bhutanese landscape matches its varied cuisine. Bhutanese methods of preparation are of a great importance and, furthermore, every region respects its own specialty. In this country, people relish a completely vegetarian dish containing cheese and chilli, even though they also love Yak meat. The most popular vegetarian dish is “Ema Datshi” which is served hot. Chilli has always been an essential ingredient to Bhutanese cuisine, together with rice, Chicken, and many other dishes. corn is also an important element in the life of Bhutanese people who also eat Pork, Beef, fish, poultry, yak, and goat. Upland people often have yak cheese as a part of their diets. Daily food consists of corn or rice, meat soups, and spiced chilies, and, as far as beverages are concerned, these include buttered tea and beer obtained from cereal grains.

Cuisines of Bhutan


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createpageform-bhutani Bhutanese exotic cuisine is also based on rice, which is the only crop cultivated in this country and which is of two types: the urban areas like Pato, Thimpu, and Phuntsholing use white rice while red rice is used in the rural areas. Some rice dishes include “Desi”, a delicious combination of white rice, Sugar, butter, golden raisins and saffron, and “Zow” or fried rice combined with Sugar, butter and oilseeds. Even though they like eating meat, the slaughter of animals is restricted because Bhutan is a Buddhist country. Anyway, a very popular meat dish is “Pa”, which consists of chunks of meat mixed with fresh vegetables and chillies and broiled in order to make a curry. As a matter of fact, Bhutanese cuisine, especially that from the urban areas, tends to adopt some features of western countries.

Bhutani Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Bhutani Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for Bhutani Cooking
Bhutanese cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbours and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Bhutanese cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Bhutanese cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential - either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Bhutan is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all Bhutanese regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Bhutanese dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Bhutani Cooking
Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers