Bhutan food guide · Updated October 2026 for 2027
Bhutanese Food: What to Eat in Bhutan
Red rice, chillies and soft datshi cheese are the heart of Bhutanese cuisine. Here is our guide to the national dish, the traditional food worth trying, regional specialities, drinks, vegetarian options and table manners, written by our team in Bhutan.
Licensed by Bhutan's Department of Tourism · Licence No. 1052914
Bhutanese food culture
What makes Bhutanese cuisine different
Bhutanese cooking has been shaped by its neighbours, India, China and Tibet, yet it tastes like nowhere else. Most dishes are boiled, steamed or stewed in a single pot rather than fried or grilled, and almost every meal is built from the same three foundations. Meals are usually served family style: a big bowl of rice in the middle, with two or three dishes to share.
Red rice
The staple
A nutty, slightly sticky rice grown in Bhutan’s western and central valleys. It turns pink when cooked and comes with almost every lunch and dinner.
Ema
Chilli as a vegetable
Fresh, dried, green or red, chillies are cooked as the main ingredient, not just a seasoning. You will see them drying on rooftops in autumn.
Datshi
Soft local cheese
A fresh cheese that melts into a creamy sauce. Most vegetarian dishes use it, which is why so many names end in “datshi”.
One pot
Simple cooking
Ingredients are typically simmered together in one pot with butter or oil, onion, tomato and garlic, so flavours are hearty and warming.
The national dish of Bhutan
Ema datshi: chilli and cheese
Ema means chilli and datshi means cheese. Ema datshi is the national dish and the one you will meet at almost every meal: chillies split lengthways and simmered with onion, tomato, garlic and a little oil or butter, with datshi stirred in until it melts into a sauce. Some cooks make it thick and cheesy, others more like a soup.
It is properly hot. Hotels and restaurants serving visitors usually make a milder version, and your guide can ask for less chilli. Eat it the Bhutanese way, spooned over plenty of red rice, which softens the heat.
The datshi family
- Ema datshi: chillies and cheese, the national dish
- Kewa datshi: potatoes and cheese, much milder
- Shamu datshi: mushrooms and cheese, best in the summer and autumn mushroom season
- Nakey datshi: fiddlehead fern and cheese, a spring and summer favourite
- Gondo datshi: scrambled egg cooked with cheese, often at breakfast
Traditional Bhutanese food
12 Bhutanese dishes to try
Beyond ema datshi, these are the dishes our guests talk about most. Spice levels vary from kitchen to kitchen, so treat the labels as a guide.
Vegetarian · Mild
Kewa datshi
Potato and cheese
Sliced potatoes cooked with datshi, butter and a little chilli. Creamy, comforting and the best first dish for anyone nervous about spice.
Vegetarian · Medium
Shamu datshi
Mushroom and cheese
Local mushrooms simmered with datshi and green chilli. Wild mushrooms are at their best in the summer and early autumn markets.
Pork · Hot
Phaksha paa
Pork with dried chillies
Slices of pork, often with some fat left on, stewed with whole dried red chillies and radish or greens. The most loved meat dish in Bhutan.
Beef · Hot
Shakam paa
Dried beef with chillies
Air-dried beef simmered with dried chillies and radish until tender. Drying meat was the traditional way to keep it through the winter.
Chicken · Medium
Jasha maru
Spicy chicken stew
Diced chicken cooked with tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and coriander. Lighter than the paa dishes and a reliable choice on most menus.
Vegetarian · Mild
Hoentey
Buckwheat dumplings from Haa
Buckwheat dumplings filled with turnip greens, cheese and spices, steamed or fried. Traditionally made for Lomba, the Haa New Year.
Vegetarian · Mild
Puta
Buckwheat noodles from Bumthang
Thick, grey buckwheat noodles, usually tossed with butter, chilli or egg. Buckwheat grows well in Bumthang‘s high, cool valleys.
Vegetarian · Mild
Khuli
Buckwheat pancakes
Soft buckwheat pancakes from Bumthang, eaten with ema datshi, butter or honey. A lovely breakfast in central Bhutan.
Snack · Mild to hot
Momo and ezay
Dumplings with chilli sauce
Steamed dumplings filled with cheese, vegetables, pork or beef, served with ezay, a fiery chilli relish. Bhutan’s favourite snack.
Pork or beef · Mild
Juma
Bhutanese sausage
Minced meat mixed with rice and spices and stuffed into casings, then steamed or fried. Look for it in Bumthang and Haa.
Vegetarian · Medium
Goen hogay
Cucumber salad
Cucumber with tomato, onion, crumbled datshi, chilli and timur (Sichuan pepper), which gives a tingling, citrusy kick.
Snack · No spice
Zow
Fried puffed rice
Rice boiled, dried and then fried with butter and sugar. Usually offered with suja (butter tea) as a snack or breakfast.
Taste the valleys
Regional food in Bhutan
Altitude decides what grows, so each region eats a little differently. Rice dominates in the warmer western valleys, buckwheat in the high centre, and maize in the east.
Paro and Punakha
Bhutan’s rice bowl. Terraced paddies of red rice line these valleys, green in summer and golden at harvest in autumn.
Haa
Home of hoentey dumplings, buckwheat dishes and yak and dairy products from the high pastures.
Bumthang
Buckwheat country: puta noodles and khuli pancakes, plus local honey, apples, Swiss-style cheese and Red Panda beer from the valley’s brewery.
Thimphu
The Centenary Farmers’ Market by the river is the best place to see Bhutan’s produce: chillies, datshi, dried yak cheese, red rice and seasonal fruit.
Merak and Sakteng
Semi-nomadic yak herders in the far east live on yak butter, yak cheese and hard, dried chugo, still carried as a long-lasting snack.
Eastern Bhutan
Maize is a staple here, eaten as kharang (ground maize) instead of rice, along with local ara distilled from grains.
What to drink
Bhutanese drinks: butter tea to local beer
Suja (butter tea)
Tea churned with butter and salt. It is savoury, more like a warm broth than tea, and drunk to keep warm. If a host offers you a cup, accept it; you do not have to finish it.
Ngaja (milk tea)
Sweet milky tea, similar to Indian chai, served in homes, tea shops and offices. The easiest Bhutanese drink to love.
Ara
A traditional spirit distilled at home from rice, maize, wheat, millet or barley. It is often served warm, sometimes with butter and egg. Strength varies widely, so sip slowly.
Bangchang
A mild, cloudy fermented drink made from grains, more traditional in villages and eastern Bhutan than in town bars.
Red Panda beer
An unfiltered wheat beer from the Bumthang brewery started by Swiss resident Fritz Maurer, alongside the valley’s cheese making. A favourite stop on central Bhutan tours.
Water and local drinks
Do not drink tap water. Hotels provide filtered or bottled water, and you can refill a bottle. Bhutanese beers, whiskies and fruit wines are found in most towns.
Good to know: Tuesdays are no longer national dry days; Bhutan lifted the rule on 4 July 2023. Alcohol cannot be sold or served to anyone under 18, and local authorities can still restrict sales on some religious or special days. Your guide will tell you if this affects your trip.
Vegetarian and vegan
Is Bhutan good for vegetarians?
Yes. Buddhism shapes attitudes to meat, so vegetarian dishes are everywhere, and most traditional ones are naturally meat-free. They usually include cheese and butter, though, so vegans need to plan ahead.
Meat shops close for the whole of the first and fourth months of the Bhutanese lunar calendar and on certain holy days. Restaurants still serve meat bought beforehand, but some menus lean vegetarian at these times.
Tips for plant-based travellers
- Tell us your diet when you book. We pass it to every hotel and restaurant on your route.
- Vegetarian staples: ema, kewa, shamu and nakey datshi, puta, khuli, red rice, dal and seasonal vegetables.
- For vegan meals, ask for dishes without datshi or butter; kitchens can cook vegetables in oil instead.
- Vegetable momos are easy to find in Thimphu and Paro.
- For gluten-free diets, rice dishes are easy; check buckwheat dishes, as some are mixed with wheat flour.
Where to eat
The best places to try Bhutanese food
All our tour packages include three meals a day. We mix hotel restaurants with local places, and you can always ask your guide for a truly local meal.
A farmhouse meal
The best Bhutanese food is home cooking. A lunch or dinner in a family farmhouse in Paro, Punakha or Bumthang is a highlight of many trips.
Centenary Farmers' Market
Thimphu’s main produce market, beside the Wang Chhu river. See dried chillies, datshi, chugo, red rice and seasonal fruit, and talk to the farmers.
Folk Heritage Museum, Thimphu
A traditional farmhouse museum whose restaurant serves classic Bhutanese dishes. It is popular, so we book ahead.
Bumthang brewery and cheese
In Jakar, visit the brewery that makes Red Panda beer and try the valley’s Swiss-style cheese.
Homestays
Stay overnight in a village home, help in the kitchen, and try a hot stone bath. We only use certified homestays.
Cafés and bakeries
Thimphu and Paro have a growing café scene, good for coffee, cakes and a break from chilli.
Table manners
Dining etiquette in Bhutan
Bhutanese hosts are generous and relaxed with visitors. A few customs will help you feel at home.
Wait for everyone
In a group, everyone waits until all are served before eating. Hosts often serve themselves only after guests have started.
A small offering
You may see people flick a few drops of tea or ara, or a little food, before eating or drinking. It is an offering, not a cue for you to copy.
Hands or spoon
Many Bhutanese eat rice with their right hand at home. Spoons and forks are always available, so use whatever is comfortable.
Refusing politely
Hosts will offer second and third helpings. Cover your plate or cup with your hand and say you are full; it is normal to decline a few times.
Managing the heat
Ask your guide to request less chilli, start with kewa datshi or jasha maru, and take extra rice. Plain rice helps cool your mouth.
Doma
Betel nut (doma) is offered as a sign of welcome. You are welcome to decline politely; it is strong and stains the mouth red.
FAQ
Bhutanese food questions
Planning a trip? Read our Bhutan travel guide and Bhutan travel cost guide, or see our cultural tours.
What is the national dish of Bhutan?
Ema datshi, a stew of chillies and datshi (soft local cheese) cooked with onion, tomato and garlic. It is eaten with red rice at almost every meal.
What is the most famous food in Bhutan?
Ema datshi is the most famous, followed by its milder cousins kewa datshi (potato) and shamu datshi (mushroom), phaksha paa (pork with dried chillies), momos and red rice.
Is Bhutanese food very spicy?
Traditional food is hot, because chillies are cooked as a vegetable. Kitchens serving visitors usually make milder versions, and your guide can ask for less chilli. Kewa datshi, jasha maru, puta and khuli are good gentle choices.
What do Bhutanese people eat for breakfast?
Often red rice with ema datshi or gondo datshi (eggs with cheese), zow (fried puffed rice) with butter tea, or khuli pancakes in Bumthang. Hotels also serve continental breakfasts.
Are meals included on a Bhutan tour?
Yes. Our tour packages include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Alcohol and any extra meals you choose are paid separately.
Can vegetarians and vegans eat well in Bhutan?
Vegetarians eat very well, as most traditional dishes are meat-free. Vegans should tell us in advance and ask for food without cheese or butter.
Can tourists drink alcohol in Bhutan?
Yes, if you are 18 or over. Tuesdays have not been national dry days since July 2023, although sales can be restricted on some special days.
Is it safe to drink tap water in Bhutan?
We advise against it. Drink bottled or filtered water; hotels provide it, and you can refill a reusable bottle.
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- Licensed operator, licence No. 1052914
- Three meals a day included on every tour
- Dietary needs shared with every hotel
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