VEGAN IN BHUTAN

Bhutan is India’s land locked neighbor and is supposed to be one of the happiest countries in the world – they actually have a “Gross National Happiness” measurement. Whether this is really true and practical is unknown to me, but the people we encountered in our travels were very friendly, unfailingly polite and smiling faces were aplenty. I had done my due diligence before heading over there and was really happy in terms of the foods we could eat.

Vegan Bhutan lunch at roadside restaurant
My lunch…the little flat bowl on the bottom right? Thats full of chillies! (Red Rice + Veg curry + dal + chillies)

We visited Thimphu (Bhutan’s capital city), Paro and Punakha (the cultural capital). The short duration of our visit did not allow us the luxury to visit the central highlands, which were very reportedly very beautiful.

road side veg momos
Veg momos at roadside Hotel Bhutia on the way to Bhutan

Bhutan is famous for being in the foothills of the Himalayas amidst lush green mountains and valleys. Further upland are gorgeous snow capped peaks, but they cannot usually be seen during summer or foggy days. Also well known are their red and white monasteries, easy to spot amidst verdant scenery, always evoking a sense of calm when you encounter a Buddhist monk.

Until recently, Bhutan was closed off to foreign visitors and only recently opened up her gates. Indian citizens however, have always been able to visit for free due to close trade relations between the two countries.

Amazing new restaurant at Paro
This amazing new restaurant at Paro on the main street made us fresh, to order veg food

Chili paste!

Thimphu Market
Grains at the Thimphu market
Thimphu market
Abundant fresh greens at the produce market in Thimphu

Cheese and chillies – Bhutanese people simply love these items. Their spice tolerance levels are insanely high, for how else would they be able to consume spicy whole chillies smothered in a cheesy sauce? This dish is called Ema Datsi, Bhutan’s national dish. I found no vegan version of this dish and did get to try a different chilli version, but I doubt I would have been able to stand the heat.

Thanks to Bhutan’s proximity to India, vegetarian food is easily available – a standard plate would include Bhutanese Red Rice, Dal, Vegetables and chili-based-condiments. Bhutanese red rice has a nutty, chewy quality and is exotic in the rest of the world! Contrary to what one may think, Bhutanese people aren’t vegetarians despite the overwhelming Buddhist presence. I doubt anyone besides the monks are religiously obligated to eschew meat. Beef dishes were widely sold, but a vegetarian & vegan can eat pretty well.

At the point, I would be remiss if I didnt talk about momos. Momos are dumplings are a favorite snack in northeast India, Nepal and Bhutan – ask for the vegetarian version, its usually vegan too. We had the crazy idea to go on a bus from India to Bhutan – my husband loves land crossings! It was a hot and humid day and we were packed in a tiny bus with half the legroom of a US domestic flight! It felt like an endless journey in an oven while the driver finally stopped for a lunch break on the Indian side – they had clean restrooms, fresh water to splash on ourselves and amazing momo’s – we quickly packed away three plates!

We wanted to replicate this momo experience in Bhutan, so one evening in Thimphu we walked around the busy downtown area looking for a local restaurant and finally spotted a small hole in the wall restaurant open and bustling with life. We walked in, unsure of what we’d find and a bit conscious of being the only tourists. They had community tables and were mostly full. While we looked lost, two locals enjoying momos warmly invited us to  share their table. They helped us order momos and we stuck up a conversation – one was an engineer and one was a football coach at a school. Over the next couple of days, they joined us for a mini sight seeing trip around Thimphu, gave us pointers on where to stay at Paro and Phuentsholing (border town with India) and took us to another hole in the wall favorite for more momos! Sadly, this time around I did not take notes on where we ate, but overall it was very accessible to find good veg food.

We absolutely loved our stay in Bhutan – our hike up the Tiger’s nest monastery was the highlight of our trip. We rented a cab from our hotel that took us to the trail head. At the trailhead we found the opportunity to rent a mule (which was obviously out), but we made the trek on foot. The hike is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. The very first glimpse of the monastery left me awestruck, I felt like I was in the Batman movie where Bruce Wayne trains at a monastery that is hanging to steep cliff! In reality, the monastery was so calm and peaceful.

Let me leave you with this parting picture to wrap this post up:

Tiger's nest monaster