The only country that measures its success by a Gross National Happiness Index, Bhutan is famous for its scenic towns, historic landmarks and sprawling untouched beauty.
One look at a photo of the famed Tiger’s Nest monastery or Chimi temple can be enough for keen travellers to put the country on their bucket list. But one thing that is rarely discussed is what you should eat when you get there.
“If there’s no cheese, it’s not Bhutanese food,” says chef Bleu Tshering Dorji, co-owner of Phangu, a modern restaurant in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
“We use a lot of our local cheese, or datshi, in our dishes. We cook with a lot of onions, garlic and chillies with our meats but with our vegetables we don’t really sauté them or fry them or anything like that. Everything is with datshi.
“If there’s no chillies, it’s not Bhutanese food either, and it’s all made to go with rice,” she adds.
