Ema Datshi

Nutrition, per serving

Calculated from the raw ingredient quantities in the recipe below, divided by four servings.

What sets ema datshi apart nutritionally is simply the volume of chili involved: at 125 g of chili per serving, it’s treated as the vegetable base of the dish rather than a seasoning, contributing most of the dish’s 3 g of fiber. The cheese sauce supplies the bulk of the fat and protein — 18 g of fat, 9 g of it saturated — typical of a fresh, unripened cheese melted into a sauce rather than used sparingly as a garnish.

History

Ema datshi is the national dish of Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom where chili (ema) is not a mere condiment but the main vegetable of the dish, simmered in large quantity in a sauce made from a fresh local cheese called datshi.

This cheese, traditionally made from fermented cow’s or yak’s milk, melts into a smooth sauce that slightly softens the intense heat of the green or red chilies used whole or in large pieces; this dish, eaten daily in nearly every Bhutanese household, is also the first memorable experience for many travelers unaccustomed to such a level of spice.

Ingredients — serves 4

• 500 g (1.1 lb) green or red chilies, partly seeded
• 200 g (7 oz) fresh datshi-style cheese (or mild feta)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt, to taste

Step-by-step Bhutanese ema datshi recipe

1. Cut the chilies into wide strips after removing some of the seeds depending on the desired heat.
2. Heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic and tomatoes for a few minutes.
3. Add the chilies and a little water, then let simmer covered until tender.
4. Crumble the datshi cheese on top and let it melt gently into the sauce.
5. Stir gently to bind the melted cheese with the chilies without completely crushing them.
6. Serve piping hot with Bhutanese red rice, the traditional accompaniment.

Cooking method

Technique: slow simmering of whole chilies in a melted cheese sauce, never at a hard boil so the cheese doesn’t break.

Traditional equipment: heavy metal pot, Himalayan cooking fire.

Tips: the sauce is ready when the cheese forms a smooth, creamy veil around chilies that are still firm.

Economic context

At $5.96 per day, Bhutan has one of the higher costs of a healthy diet among the countries in this atlas, a reflection of its mountainous terrain and limited arable land. Ema datshi, built from chilies grown locally and dairy from household livestock, is nonetheless everyday food — eaten more often than any other dish in the country.

Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Bhutan generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.

Who this dish suits

What about you?

In your opinion, where’s the best place or restaurant to enjoy good ema datshi?

Also worth trying