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  • Bhutanese Cooking Class: Learn to Make Ema Datshi and Momos

    A Bhutanese cooking class takes you straight into the kitchen of a local family. You learn to cook the country’s favourite dishes, and then you sit down together to enjoy what you made.

    The star is ema datshi, chillies in a creamy cheese sauce, the national dish. However, your host can make it as mild or as fiery as you like.

    What You Cook in the Bhutanese Cooking Class

    You start with red rice, a nutty grain grown in the Paro Valley. Next, you make ema datshi or kewa datshi, potatoes in cheese, and fold momos, little dumplings filled with vegetables or meat.

    Meanwhile, your host shares stories about Bhutanese meals, from butter tea in the morning to the dried yak cheese that herders chew on the trail. Finally, you eat together at the family table. Your host also writes down the recipes for you, so you can cook them again at home.

    Like every part of your trip, this experience is private, with your own guide and driver. We plan it around your pace, the weather and local events, and your guide translates and explains the meaning behind everything you see, so you always feel welcome.

    Good to Know

    • Where: A family home in Paro, Thimphu or Punakha
    • How long: About 2 to 3 hours, including the meal
    • Best for: Food lovers, families and couples
    • Season: All year

    Add a Bhutanese Cooking Class to Any Tour

    It works well as a dinner on our Bhutan village tour or our 7-day Bhutan itinerary. You can also pick it on our curate your own trip page, and we will fit it into the right day. For more ideas, see all our Bhutan cultural activities.

    For more on Bhutanese food, see Bhutan’s official tourism site.

    Bhutanese Cooking Class FAQ

    Can vegetarians join?

    Yes. Most Bhutanese dishes are vegetarian, and your host adapts the rest.

    Will the food be very spicy?

    Only if you want it to be. Your host adjusts the chillies for you.

    Add this to your Bhutan trip

    Every activity can be added to any of our private tours. Tell us what you would like, and we fit it into the right day.

    Curate your trip Ask us