Since we haven’t been able to welcome any guests to our lodge lately, we thought we would share with you all what our team has been up to while awaiting Bhutan’s borders to reopen. Below is an interview with our operations manager, Sonam Dorji, on his recent work with the Gangtey Lodge green team.
January, 2026 
A Guide to Bhutanese Food: Flavours, Traditions, and the Heart of Himalayan Cuisine
Bhutanese food is a vibrant expression of the kingdom’s landscape and traditions — warm, comforting, and deeply rooted in Himalayan life. Whether you’re savouring ema datshi beside the lodge fireplace or sharing a farm-fresh meal in the Phobjikha Valley, Bhutanese cuisine invites you into a way of living shaped by community, seasonality, and gratitude.
Traditional Bhutanese Dishes
Bhutanese meals focus on nourishment and balance, shaped by the climate and the country’s deeply agricultural roots. Red rice, fresh vegetables, buckwheat, and warming curries form the base of many dishes. A few staples you’ll encounter across the country include:
- Kewa Datshi – Potatoes in a mild, comforting cheese sauce.
- Phaksha Paa – Pork stewed with chillies or radish.
- Shakam Paa – Sun-dried beef cooked slowly with chillies.
- Hoentay – Buckwheat dumplings filled with greens and cheese.
Each dish carries the flavours of the land, simple ingredients elevated by tradition and care.
The Role of Chillies: Warmth, Flavour, and Daily Life
Chillies are essential in Bhutanese cooking, used not only to add heat but as a vegetable in their own right. In a country shaped by cool mountain air and high-altitude living, this warmth is both practical and comforting. You’ll often see strings of red chillies drying on rooftops and windowsills throughout the autumn months, an everyday reminder of how central they are to Bhutanese flavour.
So the question remains, Is Bhutanese food spicy?
Many dishes offer a gentle heat, while others carry the bold, fiery spirit Bhutan is known for. Guests can always choose the level of spice that feels right for them.
Bhutanese Food Culture: A Reflection of Land and Community
Food in Bhutan is closely tied to the rhythms of rural life. Agriculture shapes the lives of most Bhutanese families, and the monsoon rains are vital to the success of the farming season. With this comes a cycle of rituals, blessings, and community gatherings that honour the land.
Meals mirror this same philosophy. They are shared around a low table, unhurried and generous. Rice forms the foundation, with dishes placed in the centre for everyone to enjoy.
Vegetarian travellers will find many plant-forward dishes shaped by local produce, mushrooms, and buckwheat; wholesome, comforting, and true to Bhutanese flavours.
Where to Experience Authentic Bhutanese Food
The most memorable Bhutanese meals are often found in local farmhouses and intimate lodges, where traditional cooking is honoured. At Gangtey Lodge, our menus are inspired by the region’s flavours, seasonal ingredients, and the valley’s slow, grounding rhythm. Guests frequently enjoy Bhutanese classics after valley walks or cultural excursions, prepared with thoughtful technique and quiet authenticity.
Conclusion: The Heart of Bhutan on a Plate
Bhutanese food isn’t just eaten, it’s experienced. It reflects a country guided by community, nature, and tradition. From the comfort of datshi dishes to the warmth of chillies and the joy of communal harvest, the flavours of Bhutan invite every traveller to connect more deeply with the kingdom and its way of life.
If Bhutan wears the crown for caring for the environment, then Phobjikha Valley is the jewel in that crown. Phobjikha Valley is one of the largest, high-altitude wetlands in Bhutan, situated on the western slopes of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park.
Bhutan’s tourism tag-line is “Happiness is a place” and certainly there are few other countries in the world quite so rooted in a sense of place as Bhutan.
Experience Bhutan where stillness leads the way—luxury, spirituality, and deep connection in the heart of the Himalayas.
Bhutan is the world’s last remaining Vajrayana Buddhist Kingdom, and this ancient spiritual tradition is, to this day, embedded in the very consciousness and culture of the people.