Bhutan

Ara is a traditional Bhutanese home-distilled (or fermented) spirit made from rice, wheat, millet, or maize.

A thick, pan-fried pancake made primarily or exclusively from buckwheat flour — a highland staple of Bhutan (where it is called khule) and a traditional preparation of the Korean Peninsula — valued for its earthy, slightly bitter grain character and its status as an everyday bread substitute in buckwheat-growing highland communities.

Bhutan's national dish: whole or halved fresh green chillies (or dried red chillies in winter) simmered in butter and water with datshi — Bhutanese fresh cheese — until the cheese melts into a thick, creamy, fiery sauce in which the chilli is the principal vegetable, not a seasoning.

A Bhutanese dish of tripe stir-fried with dried chilies, ginger and local spices.

A Bhutanese dumpling from the Haa valley made with buckwheat-flour wrappers stuffed with turnip greens, spinach, and local cheese, then steamed.

A Bhutanese stew of minced or shredded chicken simmered with tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and chilli into a brothy, spicy curry.

A Bhutanese dish of sliced potatoes simmered with datshi cheese, chilli and butter into a soft, melty stew.

A Bhutanese buckwheat pancake of batter ladled and pan-fried on a griddle, eaten at breakfast.

A thin-skinned wheat dough dumpling encasing a finely minced, aromatics-forward filling of meat or vegetables, characteristically steamed and served with a fiery tomato-based achar.

A Bhutanese dish of foraged fiddlehead fern fronds stir-fried with dried red chilies and finished with local cheese.

A Bhutanese braise of pork belly — dried, smoked, or fresh — stewed with an assertive quantity of dried red chilies and white radish until the fat renders and the broth turns deeply ruddy.

Bhutanese buckwheat noodles, extruded fresh and stir-fried or served in broth with vegetables and seasonings.

Red rice is a nutty, semi‑milled rice variety cultivated in Bhutan, distinguished by its reddish bran layer and cooked by steaming or boiling.

A Bhutanese dish of mushrooms simmered with datshi cheese and green chilies into a creamy, soupy curry eaten with red rice.

Sikam Paa is a Bhutanese dish of air-dried salted pork strips fried with dried chilies and radish, prized for its intense smoky, chewy bite.

A savoury Himalayan tea churned from strong black tea, butter, and salt into a warming emulsified drink.

A Bhutanese ceremonial stew of mixed vegetables simmered together, often with dried beef or pork, served at festivals and feasts.

A Bhutanese dish of leftover cooked red rice stir-fried with vegetables and chilli, eaten as a thrifty breakfast or simple main.