On behalf of Mary-Anne Durkee Cuisine of a Mystical Land --------------------------------- Snugly nestled in the thickets of Eastern Himalayas lies truly a magical land aptly named the last Shangri-la on Earth. This is Bhutan whose mystique landscape matches wildly with it's cuisine. The people of Dragon Kingdom simply love to eat and they like it hot, very hot. The Bhutanese are passionate about chilli and these fiery little things form a ubiquitous part of every dish, every day. "Without chillies we die" they sing in unison and to prove their words chillies are spread generously all over - on the roadsides, on rooftops and on the courtyards like butter spread on the kadak bread toasts. The huge baskets of chillies at the markets put to shame the bursting pumpkins, white radish, potato, cabbage, cauliflower and beans. The local chilli used here is Capsicum Annum, a fluffy red variety. The smaller Indian variety is also grown and a red and incineratingly hot Nepalese chilli is used for pickles. "We Bhutanese, consume chillies like vegetables not as spices", says our host at the hotel City Centre. No wonder then, an average family uses more than three dozens of chillies every day. And they surely believe in starting them young. So the little ones are peppered with small amounts of the fiery drug when they start taking their first steps and soon they become addicted just like their parents. It is little surprise that their courtship with chilli begins with the first rays of the sun. The morning chai- suja, a thick viscous soup made from butter and salt is supplemented with Chilli spiked ezay. Ezay is a snack comprised of chopped chillies, onions, tomatoes and a home made Yak cheese called datshi. When mixed with milk, ezay becomes a heavenly meal that is also offered to important Buddhist Lamas. The national staple diet- Ema Datshi is also a cheese and chilli combination. And any time, anywhere you can freak out on (if you dare) on raw chillies dipped in salt and served with green onions. "If it does not make you sweat, then why ever bother to eat?" they ask. Therefore, if you would like to taste their cuisine, you might want to tell them to tone it down. Another important feature of this exotic cuisine is the use of rice. Five kilograms per head per week is the normal consumption. As this is the only crop cultivated, rice also finds its way in various forms from breakfast to dinner. It's either rice with curry or curry with rice and lots and lots of......... .Yes, you guessed it right. The urban areas including Thimpu, Paro and Phuntsholing use the white rice while the rural population uses the red (with husk) grained variety. Rice based delicacies include Desi- a tasty mixture of white rice, butter, sugar, golden raisins and saffron and Zow - a fried rice made with sugar, butter and oilseeds. These are also the favourites of His Majesty King Jigme Wangchuk and are served on special occasions. In eastern Bhutan, some wheat is cultivated and the staple diet is Puta or wheat noodles. In most families of Southern Bhutan, corn kernels are dried in bamboo shoots and then ground coarsely to make Kharang. This is then added to the leftover curry and made into a Thukpa (porridge) style breakfast. The rice is served in a special tightly woven bamboo bowl called Bangchung made in the Kheng province. This is a lovely souvenir from Bhutan and can be used as a wall decoration. Meat especially Yak meat, is a staple food for the non-vegetarian. Yak is a common sight in every household. Not a single part of the animal is wasted, besides the meat, their milk is made into cheese, even the skin is fried and served as a snack with drinks. The Yak herders come down from the highlands in autumn and sell meat, butter and cheese to villagers in exchange of rice to last them a full year. The average meat an adult Yak yields is 250 to 260 kg. It also produces 1 kg of butter and an equivalent amount of cheese in three to four days. The locals sometimes hang thin strips of yak meat in the courtyard to be dried in the hot sun and store it for use later. "The dried variety is much more delicious", quips a village woman on enquiry. Though they appreciate the pleasure of meat, being a Buddhist country, slaughter of animals is restricted. In Bumthang, a district in eastern Bhutan, slaughter of animals is not allowed at all, however you can eat the meat if the same animal fell off a cliff. What a concession! In the Nepalese dominated northern regions the use of meat is more common. A particularly interesting variety is the preserved Yak haunch. The haunch is wrapped in cloth and kept under cover for two to three months. At celebrations it is taken out and served with a generous helping of chillies with a strong local drink. The most common preparation of meat is Pa or curry. Large chunks of meat are mixed with lots of vegetables and chillies and boiled for a long time to make a curry. Turmeric or other spices are not used, leaving the curry white. Zhasonpa is prepared in the same manner, except chicken pieces (Zhason) are used instead. Bhutanese also love Momos, a kind of a dumpling. Though a Tibetan speciality, it has occupied a permanent place in the Bhutanese cuisine. Chicken and Pork Momos are favoured but cheese Momos are the most common. In the interiors of Southern Bhutan, Shel Roti is preferred which is quite different form a chapati. Designed like a ring this is made from rice flour and deep fried in bubbling hot oil. Sugar is sometimes added to make it tastier. Coming back to Ema Datshi. Here is the recipe in brief if you want to try: To make the cheese, pour boiling water to the yoghurt left in the churn after the butter is removed. Stir gently till it turns into a soft yellow paste, which is then fried with butter and sugar to get the 'Datshi'. Finally, add chilli, salt and cook with the Datshi to make a curry. Sometimes the Datshi is dried for a few more days to make it hard. It is then cut into pieces, stringed and kept over fire for three to four months and this stone hard chewing gum is ready. This is what the Bhutanese chew all the time. They say it helps to keep the body warm. We tried but spat it out in no time due to its pungent odour. Repeated persuasion by our guide could not change our opinion even when the temperature fell to -7 degrees. Now, how do they wash down all these hot, spicy delicacies? The answer is simple, either with a drink or with Tea. The Bhutanese are habitual drinkers and refuse to touch any thing else after sun down. The local speciality is Ara a strong green liquor, made from any grain cultivated in the region either rice, wheat or barley. In traditional feasts, an unusual snack is offered. Butter is heated with egg and Ara is poured over the whole offering. In the Kheng region, raw meat is served with drinks and on special occasions, the whole village participates in the feast. In Bumthang, a rare tea is made from a parasitic plant Neshing Jurma, that grows on Oak trees. This vanilla scented heady tea can convert even the most hard core critic. In most Bhutanese homes tea or liquor may be served as a starter and at the end too, since they do not eat desserts. Doma or betel nut is also frequently consumed. Unlike Pan, it consists of only the leaf, lime and nut and they swallow the juice. Offering of Doma between teenagers is considered as a sign of affection. These days however, the Urban Bhutanese are tilting towards the Western type of food and even the rural population is not interested in this laborious process. But in festivals, weddings and other traditional gatherings the Bhutanese will always opt for the cuisine of the land. by Monideepa Banerjee ---------------------------------