The Intimate Relationship between the Market and the Table

Bhutan

Sep 272015

September 2015
Punakha, Bhutan

Chilis and red rice are the main staples of Bhutanese cooking. A typical Bhutanese meal may consist of nothing more than red rice and Bhutan’s national dish ema datse. Ema datse consists of large green, sometimes red, but always hot, chilies prepared in a cheese sauce. The cheese is somewhere between a farmers cheese and a gruyere. If one wants to enjoy the cheese without the heat, there is kewa datse, potates with cheese or shamu datse which is mushrooms with cheese.

Ema datse

This is the season for nakey or what we in the west call fiddle heads. They are abundant and delicious.

Bhutan is a Buddhist country, so killing animals is highly frowned upon, however, they do eat meat, which is usually killed by non-Buddhists and often comes from India or Thailand, but as witnessed by these bones in the market, not always.

Then there is momo, these are small steamed dumplings filled with cheese and cabbage or meat. The proper way to eat them is dripping in chili sauce. These little dumplings are delicious, and always a welcome treat at the table. Momo’s are not a traditional Bhutanese dish, this particular addition to Bhutanese cuisine has been imported from Tibet.

Rock hard yak cheese or chugo is available, one treats it like gum and chews and chews and chews until the flavor comes out.

There are not grocery stores in Bhutan, all of your produce comes from the local market and a visit is a must to understanding the food culture of this country. Here is a tour of the Punakha market.

Persimmons

You will catch a whiff of a rank smell similar to cow dung. This is the fermenting betel nut.

You will catch a whiff of a rank smell similar to cow dung while wandering. It is the fermenting betel nut.

The leaves in which the Betel Nut is wrapped before putting into the mouth and chewing.

Garlic

Spices, spices, spices

This is cane. Once the stronger portion is removed to make furniture the softer parts are peeled and dried for use in the winter as a basis for soups and stews.