Haa is the epitome of indulgence when it comes to Bhutanese cuisine- locally cooked, usually with organic, fresh-out-of-the-garden ingredients, bringing distinct flavors and textures that echo highland tradition. This is hearty food made for family meals around a Bukhari to keep warm in high altitude Himalayas. Yaks are an integral part of highland life, and often provide the nutrition through milk and cheese for families to thrive on- much of Haap cuisine is based on these key ingredients.
1. Hoentey
Arguably the most famous dish to emerge from the chilly mountains of Haa, hoentey is a savory buckwheat dumpling made with a mixture of turnip leaves, Zimtse (perilla seeds), cottage cheese, and butter. The mixture is seasoned with chili powder, onion and ginger. Traditionally served only during Lomba, the new year celebration, you can order hoentey almost year round now, fried or steamed depending on your preference. Every household has a slightly different rendition of hoentey- it’s best sampled first and foremost at your local homestay. Don’t forget to ask how it’s made, and take a few for the road!
2. Phillu
Even cheese connoisseurs couldn’t see this one coming- a rare cheese only made in Haa, Phillu is fermented on birch twigs (tupp shing) in a bucket of milk. Long birch tree twigs, stripped of their bark, are covered in milk for two weeks. Freshly boiled milk is poured over the twigs three times a day until enough creamy residue coats the branches. This stringy fermented cheese is then scraped from the twigs. With a very strong and pungent flavour, this cheese is not for the faint-hearted but certainly worth a try. The cheese is collected in a container the size of a water bottle, and sometimes sold for almost Nu. 10,000. Get it while you can!
3. Chhugo Maagi
Ready for some sugar? Imagine yak cheese…cooked in butter and sugar. A powder-sugar dusted memory of Haa’s southern trade in sugar (the olden days) , Chhugo Maagi is a rare sweet Bhutanese dish. Translating literally to “cheese mixed in butter,” mildly-dried fresh cheese is cut into flat cubes. They are poured over hot melting butter and sugar. A few minutes later after the cheese cubes have moistened, it’s time to indulge.
4. Haa Nya
As the only region in Bhutan to have initiated rainbow trout farming, most hotels, restaurants, and tourism related accommodations serve signature rainbow trout dishes. Steamed or fried in fresh butter, Himalayan river trout is truly a special treat.
5. Kaapchi
Roasted wheat dough kneaded by hand, it is a typical breakfast dish served with freshly prepared butter or milk tea and sugar. Used as an energizing snack in the past and now a hearty breakfast dish, the dough is similar to hoentey consistency. Enjoy it best with a piping hot cup of Suja.
6. Maa Sha
Possibly the most special of all the Haap cuisine, and for those with very particular taste buds, is Maa Sha. Yak meat is slow dried and fermented, stored in a piece of cloth for months until it develops a pungent flavor that is sought after by the dedicated. A delicacy prepared for special occasions.
Haa’s unique cuisine takes inspiration from their close relation to land, climate and traditions. Flavors that are simple yet comforting. Rooted in local ingredients and following age-old recipes, these dishes tell stories of resilience, hospitality, and a way of life that continues to thrive in Haa.