But although the different communities had different cultures, practices, and territories, one thing unified them: their love for ema datshi.Īnd here’s some good news. There was a time before Bhutan was united in the early 1600s when the area was divided culturally and geographically. Īs such, it was natural when the Bhutanese fused the two - cheese and chillies - and ema datshi was born. Chillies are used to drive away spirits and omens, and as a form of good luck in ara. But once the Bhutanese tasted chilli, it became a staple - both in their cuisine and in rituals. Before that, olden Bhutanese used a type of herb called namda as a spice for their dishes. To them, chillies are not just a seasoning they are a vegetable.Ĭhillies arrived in Bhutan through India via traders and pilgrims. Bhutanese blogger, Tashi Choden, joked that when Bhutanese are born, they might not know who their neighbours are, but they are fully aware of where the chillies are. In equal measures to the way the Bhutanese love their cheese, they also love their chillies. The livestock led to dairy, which then led to the Bhutanese people’s love for cheese. Furthermore, owing to the high altitude and closed economy, many Bhutanese depend on the rearing of cows, yaks, sheep, and goats for their livelihood. The country is cold, and dairy provides them the warmth and strength needed to survive the low temperature. Ema datshi is a stew of chilli and cheese, merged to give your taste buds a fiery treat.
“Ema” means chilli, and “datshi” means cheese.
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