Bhutan - Ema Datshi

Situated up high in the Eastern Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan has a distinct way of looking at the world - favouring happiness and sustainability over material goods. This week I made Ema Datshi (Chilli Cheese Stew) which is a unique and interesting dish that reflects its nation’s rare outlook on life.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia, bordered by Tibet, India and South-east Asia. In South Asia, Bhutan is rated as the least corrupt country, with the highest economic freedom, ease of doing business, and peace. Bhutan was also the first nation in the world to outlaw smoking (in 2005). Interestingly, Bhutan also has a law that dictates that at least 60% of the country must remain forested for the future generations. This contributes to Bhutan being the only country in the world that is carbon negative (it absorbs more carbon than it emits)!

Bhutan has a population of around 797,000 people. There are four major ethnic groups in Bhutan: the Ngalops, the Sharchops, the Lhotshampas, and the Bhutanese indigenous community. The Ngalops are considered to be the politically and culturally dominant group. They reside primarily in the northern and western regions of Bhutan, and they are descendants of Tibetan migrants who travelled south in the 9th century. The Sharchops are of mixed Tibetan, South Asian, and South-east Asian descent and primarily live in the eastern part of the country. The Lhotshampas live in the south of Bhutan and are of mostly Nepalese origin. Around 15% of Bhutan’s population are people who belong to small indigenous tribal communities which are scattered throughout Bhutan.

Because Bhutan has never been colonised, and was largely isolated from the rest of the world until the mid-20th century, it has developed a distinct nation identity with Buddhism at its core. One of the distinctive features of the Bhutanese culture is their national dress. Men wear the Gho, which is a knee length robe that is tied at the waist with a traditional belt known as Kera. A pouch is formed at the front of the robe, which was traditionally used to carry food bowls and a small dagger, but is now used to carry wallets and mobile phones. Women wear an ankle length dress known as a Kira, which is also tied at the waist and accompanied with a jacket. Coloured scarves can be worn by both men and women to signify their social standing. Yellow scarves are worn by the king or the head abbot. Orange scarves are for a ministers and government members, green for judges, blue for members of parliament, and white for ordinary citizens. While wearing the national Bhutanese dress may not be as common as it once was, Bhutanese people are still required by law to wear it when visiting schools and government offices.

In 1979 the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck said that in Bhutan “we do not believe in Gross National Product. Gross National Happiness is more important”. This philosophy pioneered the concept of a Gross National Happiness (GNH) scale, which could be used to determine the collective happiness of a nation. The four main pillars of GNH are 1) sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, 2) preservation and promotion of culture, 3) environmental conservation, 4) good governance. While the concept of GNH is appealing, critics argue that the idea was used as propaganda by the Bhutanese government to distract from their human rights violations. However, in 2011 the UN decided to build upon Bhutan’s GNH to develop a holistic approach to development with a focus on happiness and well-being.

Bhutanese food is typically spicy, with chillies being an essential part of most Bhutanese dishes. Rice, buckwheat, and maize are also considered staples of Bhutanese cuisine. Rice is often the main part of the meal, with side dishes as accompaniments. Commonly eaten vegetables are spinach, pumpkins, turnips, tomatoes, onions, and green beans. Typical Bhutanese households are unable to afford daily servings of meat, so they rely on vegetables and dairy products. The national dish of Bhutan is Ema Datshi, which is made from a spicy mix of chillies (Ema) and yak’s cheese (datshi). There are variations on this dish which include adding potatoes (Kewa Datshi), green beans, or mushrooms. I have attempted to make the classic version of Ema Datshi served with traditional red rice. However, as yak’s cheese is unavailable in Australia, I found various recipes that suggested a combination of blue cheese, feta and cheddar cheese is a close alternative.

Ema Datshi

• 120g Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 120g oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 60g Cheddar Cheese (or similar melty cheese), sliced
• 250g Chillies (I used capsicums, jalapenos, and habaneros), sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cups of red rice
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 tomatoes, de seeded and sliced
• 4 mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves crushed garlic

Cook the red rice as you would normally cook rice.

In a large pot, add the chillies, onion, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes and oil. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.

To the pot, add the cheese and stir over a medium heat until the cheese melts and forms a sauce.

Serve with the red rice.

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This meal was amazing and delicious! I had no idea how it would turn out or what it would taste like but I was amazed how, with very few ingredients, you could make a unique and delightful dish. The flavour is hard to describe but it is a comforting dish that reminds me of a spicy cheese fondue. The dish is typically served very spicy but I was a bit nervous about making it too hot as the chillies are the primary ingredient. However, I found that the cheese sauce does mellow out the spiciness, so when I make it again I am going to be brave and use spicier chillies! I definitely recommend that you try this recipe, it is easy to make and a fun experience!

176 meals to go. Next stop on my world tour: Bolivia!