We know Bhutan as the country of happiness. If you think of Bhutan, the magnificent Himalayan landscape, the sacred Tiger’s Nest Monastery, and smiles of friendly Bhutanese people in the national dress gho and kira may first come into your mind. But, something is missing… Yes, it’s Bhutanese Food! The Bhutanese cuisine has been under-presented so far, despite its potential to become another magnet to attract tourists to the country of happiness.
“Food tourism is among the top tourism trends worldwide. Bhutan has not yet been sufficiently recognized for the extraordinary specialities it has to offer. Especially in the Eastern provinces where a surprising variety of exotic and delicious dishes are being cooked. In an endeavour to make these culinary gems better known and available some of the traditional recipes in this calendar are published for the first time as part of the SHINE project.”
– Dr. Robert Wimmer, Managing Director of GrAT (Center for Appropriate Technology), Austria / Lead of SHINE Project
About two-thirds of Bhutan is covered with forests. Bhutan possesses rich flora and fauna, thanks to the large variety of climatic zones along the altitude. Southern Bhutan, encompassing Dagana, Zhemgang, Pemagatshel Districts (Dzongkhags) and their adjacent foothills, has a hot and humid subtropical climate throughout the year. In the Central parts of the country, to which Mongar and Trashigang Districts belong, the climate changes over seasons – warm summers and cool and dry winters. Temperate and deciduous forests are found in this zone. The Northern Districts, such as Trashi Yangtse and Lhuentse, are the alpine tundra region of the Great Himalayas. Corn (maize), potatoes, rice, chili, cabbages, apples are among the chief crops. Furthermore, there is a plenty of exotic and nutritious non-wood forest products (NWFP), including herbs, fruits and spices such as nutmeg, mace and cardamom, as well as dense grasses used in paper making.
With the aim of more inclusive tourism development in Bhutan, the SHINE (Sustainable Hospitality Industry Inclusive of Native Entrepreneurs) Project, funded by EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, is promoting the indigenous tourism resources of the Eastern Bhutan.
Today the art of using edible flowers and herbs in cooking is reviving among the star chefs and innovative home cooks, who seek for exotic flavours and an elegant presence of their plates. We discovered that there are various flowers and plants in eastern Bhutan, which can be interesting ingredients. For those who love to try new things, the SHINE project presents a collection of twelve edible flowers and wild plants growing in eastern Bhutan. Their autogenous features, nutritional and/or medical values, season and traditional use are described. Nowadays, orchid and herb plantation is encouraged. You can contact the NWPF collectors and growers listed in the SHINE’s online site (http:// shine.grat.at) to order. With the help of recipes illustrated, you can make authentic Bhutanese dishes, too! Take photos of your home made version of the recipes and share them through the social media channels of SHINE. Stories of your cooking experience and tips for using the flowers and plants will be even more interesting.