Chillies are a vegetable here
The first thing to understand about Bhutanese food is that chillies are not a seasoning. They are a vegetable, cooked in quantity, and in late summer and autumn you will see them drying in red sheets on rooftops across the country. The second thing is cheese. Datshi is the Bhutanese word for cheese, and it turns up in sauces with almost everything.
Put the two together and you get ema datshi, chillies cooked in a cheese sauce, which Bhutanese call their national dish. It is served with rice at almost every meal, from village kitchens to hotel buffets. If that sounds fierce, it can be. But there are milder versions, and your hotel cook will happily make one for you if you ask.
The dishes to know
Most menus build on a small set of dishes. Here are the ones you will see most often, with a rough guide to how hot they are as Bhutanese cooks make them. Hotel versions for tourists are usually toned down; ask for 'Bhutanese style' if you want the real heat.
| Dish | What it is | Spice | Vegetarian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ema datshi | Green or dried chillies in a cheese sauce; the national dish | Hot to very hot | Yes |
| Kewa datshi | Potatoes in a cheese sauce, with some chilli | Mild to medium | Yes |
| Shamu datshi | Mushrooms in a cheese sauce | Mild to medium | Yes |
| Jasha maru | Chicken stewed with spices, often served with rice | Medium | No |
| Momos | Steamed dumplings, filled with cheese, vegetables or meat | Mild; chilli sauce on the side | Often |
| Hoentoe | Buckwheat dumplings from Haa | Mild | Usually |
| Puta | Buckwheat noodles from Bumthang | Mild | Usually |
| Red rice | Short-grain red rice from the Paro valley | None | Yes |
Red rice and the daily plate
Rice is the centre of the Bhutanese meal, and the rice to try is red rice from the Paro valley. It is a short-grain rice with a red-brown colour and a slightly nutty taste, and it cooks softer than most Indian brown rice. It is served at most hotel buffets alongside white rice; ask for it if you do not see it.
A typical lunch at a local restaurant is a plate of rice with two or three dishes: a datshi, a vegetable such as beans or greens, a dal, and perhaps a meat dish. You serve yourself from bowls in the middle of the table. Expect to pay about ₹250–600 a head in a local restaurant and ₹500–1,000 for a hotel buffet, indicative 2026. Most certified hotels include breakfast, and many packages include dinner, so lunch is your chance to eat where Bhutanese eat.
Regional food: hoentoe and puta
Buckwheat grows well in the cold high valleys, where rice does not, and two regional dishes are built on it. In Haa, west of Paro over Chele La at about 2,700 m, look for hoentoe, buckwheat dumplings that are Haa's best-known food. They are often made for festivals and special occasions, so ask your guide whether a farmhouse or restaurant is serving them during your visit.
In Bumthang, in central Bhutan, the local food is puta, buckwheat noodles. They are usually served with a little butter or with a datshi or chilli sauce on the side, and they make a filling lunch after a morning of temples in the Jakar area. Bumthang is also cattle country, so look out for local butter and cheese.
Neither dish is common in Thimphu or Paro restaurants, which is one more reason to add Haa or Bumthang to your route.
Suja, ara and what to drink
Suja is butter tea: tea churned with butter and salt. It is offered to guests in homes and monasteries, and it is polite to accept at least a few sips. Many Indian visitors find it closer to a thin, salty soup than to chai. If you do not like it, take a little and leave the cup mostly full; your host will not keep refilling an untouched cup.
Ara is a home-distilled spirit, usually made from rice, maize or other grains, and served warm in many village homes, sometimes with butter or egg. It is strong, and the strength varies from house to house. Sip slowly, and do not drink it before a long drive or a high pass. Sweet milk tea, called ngaja, is also common in cafés and is closer to what most Indian visitors expect.
Tap water is not safe to drink untreated. Most hotels have filtered water to refill bottles; bring a reusable one, as Bhutan discourages plastic waste.
Eating with a spice limit or as a vegetarian
Bhutan is easier for vegetarians than many visitors expect. The everyday staples, the datshis, red rice, dal and vegetable dishes, are vegetarian, and so are many momos. Eggs are widely eaten. Jain and strict vegetarian travellers should tell their guide in advance, so hotels can prepare dishes without onion or garlic.
If you do not handle chilli well, these simple steps help.
- Start with kewa datshi or shamu datshi; potatoes and mushrooms soften the heat.
- Ask for chilli on the side, especially for momos and noodles.
- Eat ema datshi with plenty of rice, not on its own.
- Keep curd or a glass of milk tea nearby rather than water, which does little against chilli heat.
- In Phuentsholing and Thimphu, Indian restaurants serve dal, roti and North Indian dishes if you need a break.
Eating in a farmhouse or a home
A meal in a registered farmhouse is the best way to taste food as Bhutanese families cook it. Dishes come out in pots and bowls, rice first, and you serve yourself. The datshi will be hotter than at your hotel, the rice will be red, and there may be dried meat, greens from the garden and fresh cheese. Your host may offer suja or ara as soon as you sit down.
A few simple manners help. Wash your hands before eating. Take a small first helping and go back for more, rather than leaving food on your plate. If your host offers more and you are full, a smile and a hand over the plate is enough. Thank the cook before you leave; 'kadrinchey la' means thank you in Dzongkha, and your guide will help you say it. If you are offered ara and do not drink, say so politely; nobody will mind.
Farmhouse dinners are usually arranged by your operator, often with a hot stone bath, for about ₹1,500–3,000 per person, indicative 2026.
Where and how to eat for less
Food is one place where you can save on a Bhutan trip without missing anything. Hotel buffets are reliable but repetitive, and they cost about twice as much as a local restaurant. The best cheap meals are in the small restaurants on side streets in Thimphu and Paro, and at highway stops where drivers and guides eat.
Ask your guide to take you to their own favourite lunch place. Order a plate of red rice with ema datshi and a vegetable dish to share, and expect a bill of ₹250–400 a head, indicative 2026. Thimphu's weekend market is a good place to see local cheese, dried chillies and seasonal vegetables, even if you only buy a snack. A farmhouse dinner in Paro or Punakha, often with a hot stone bath for ₹1,500–3,000, is worth one splurge; ask your operator to arrange it.
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is the national dish of Bhutan
Ema datshi is Bhutan's national dish: chillies cooked in a cheese sauce, eaten with rice. Ema means chilli and datshi means cheese. It is served at almost every meal, from village kitchens to hotel buffets, and it can be very hot. Milder relatives include kewa datshi with potatoes and shamu datshi with mushrooms. Ask your cook to make a gentler version if you prefer.
Is Bhutanese food very spicy
It can be. Bhutanese cooks treat chillies as a vegetable, so traditional ema datshi is very hot. Hotel kitchens usually tone it down for visitors, and dishes such as kewa datshi, shamu datshi, momos, puta and plain red rice are much milder. Ask for chilli on the side and eat spicy dishes with plenty of rice. Curd or milk tea helps more than water.
Is Bhutan good for vegetarians
Yes. The everyday staples, ema datshi, kewa datshi, shamu datshi, red rice, dal and vegetable dishes, are vegetarian, and cheese and vegetable momos are common. Eggs are widely eaten. Jain or strict vegetarian travellers should tell their guide in advance so hotels can cook without onion or garlic. In Phuentsholing and Thimphu, Indian vegetarian restaurants are easy to find.
How much does food cost in Bhutan
A meal at a local restaurant costs about ₹250–600 per person, and a hotel buffet about ₹500–1,000, indicative 2026. A plate of red rice with ema datshi and a vegetable dish at a simple place costs ₹250–400. Most certified hotels include breakfast, and many packages include dinner, so budget mainly for lunches. Ngultrum is pegged to the rupee, and rupees are accepted widely.
What is suja in Bhutan
Suja is Bhutanese butter tea, made by churning tea with butter and salt. It is offered to guests in homes and monasteries as a sign of welcome, and it is polite to accept a few sips. Many Indian visitors find it more like a salty soup than chai. If you would rather have sweet tea, ask for ngaja, the milk tea served in most cafés.
What is ara
Ara is a traditional home-distilled spirit, usually made from rice, maize or other grains. It is often served warm in village homes and farmhouses, sometimes with butter or egg stirred in. Its strength varies widely from house to house, so sip it slowly and avoid it before a long drive over a high pass. Accepting a small cup is polite; you need not finish it.
What food is Haa known for
Haa is known for hoentoe, buckwheat dumplings that are the valley's best-known dish. Buckwheat grows well at Haa's altitude of about 2,700 m, where rice does not. Hoentoe is often made for festivals and special occasions, so ask your guide whether a farmhouse or restaurant is serving it when you visit. The Haa Summer Festival in July is a good time to find it.
What is puta from Bumthang
Puta is the buckwheat noodle dish of Bumthang in central Bhutan. Buckwheat suits the cold, high valleys around Jakar, at about 2,600 m. Puta is usually served with a little butter or with a datshi or chilli sauce on the side, and it is a filling, mild lunch. You will rarely find it in Thimphu or Paro, so try it when you are in Bumthang.
Is tap water safe to drink in Bhutan
We do not recommend drinking tap water untreated in Bhutan. Most certified hotels provide filtered or boiled water, and many will refill your bottle. Bring a reusable bottle, and a filter bottle if you plan to trek. Bottled water is sold widely, but refilling is cheaper and creates less waste. Hot drinks such as suja and ngaja are made with boiled water.