Local food map Punakha (Bhutan)
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Main course Vegetarian

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥580kcal
💪38gProtein
🌾22gCarbs
🥑38gFat
🌿2gFibre
⚖️350 gServing

* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.

Allergens

🥛 Dairy

Ema Datshi

How to order / say it
Say it ཨ་མ་དར་ཚིལ་ — [EH-mah DAHT-shee]
Order Can I have Punakha Ema Datshi?
Locally ཕུ་ན་ཁ་ཨ་མ་དར་ཚིལ་ཞུ་བཞིན་འདུག?
Say locally

Spicy stew made with local chilies and cheese.

Why try it?

Ema Datshi tells the story of Bhutan's simple yet bold flavors. The Punakha version is celebrated for its unique local cheese and chilies that are grown in the fertile Punakha valley.

How it tastes

The dish is spicy and savory, with a creamy texture from the local cheese that melts into the broth. It has a distinctive aroma of fresh chilies.

Origin & History — first documented: 1850

Ema Datshi has been an iconic dish in Punakha since the mid-19th century. Its popularity grew as chilies became a staple in Bhutanese cuisine, symbolizing warmth and hospitality.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🥕 150 g local chilies
  • 🥛 200 g local cheese
  • 🧄 100 g onion
  • 🥕 100 g tomato
  • 🧄 20 g garlic
  • 🥛 50 g butter

Method

  1. 1 Chop chilies, onion, tomato, and garlic.
  2. 2 Saute onions and garlic in butter until fragrant.
  3. 3 Add chilies, tomato, and cheese, simmer until cheese melts.

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All Asia recipes — Bhutan — Punakha — Ema Datshi
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