This 3-day culinary itinerary is perfect for those who enjoy traveling for food.
Day 1: Starting Off with Haa Town
After enjoying the breathtaking views of western Bhutan on your road trip to Haa, begin your exploration slowly with Haa town. After checking into your hotel or homestay, go for walk around Haa town. The quaint little town has untouched traditional architecture that looks magnificent with the high mountain ridges in the background. You’ll find the classic Haapai Ruto (smoked yak cheese) strung in the shops. To start your culinary journey, enjoy delicious Bathup (traditional porridge) for lunch at one of the oldest restaurants in Haa: Pelden restaurant located right in town (#17687230) The restaurant offers very good food, and the service is also impeccable.
For dinner book a traditional homecooked meal at a local homestay. Enjoy local Oja (milk tea) with Kaapchi (roasted wheat flour) and butter. This is a signature tea combination found in the homes of Haa. The homestays offer delicious local food whether you’re in a mood for hoentey (buckwheat dumplings) dried turnip with braised pork, yak meat dishes or more. Be sure to call few hours earlier if there are specific food you want to try. Homestays can also arrange cooking sessions where the matriarch teaches you how to cook some of the local meals.
Day 2: Taste of the Highlander Cuisine
Whether you’re staying at a hotel or homestay, don’t miss the quintessential Haapai breakfast: Kaapchi with Oja accompanied with Yaksha Kam and Ezey. Many Haaps believe that Kaapchi Jaapa for breakfast was what energized their forefathers to traverse mountains during the old days. Haa is also famous for their local trout. You can visit the Fishery Centre under the National Research & Development Centre for Riverine and Lake Fisheries to spot some of the most stunning rainbow and brown trout being raised in the many pools surrounding the centre. There are also outlets where you can purchase the trout from and if you wish to taste it fresh for lunch, you can request your hotel or homestay to prepare trout for lunch or dinner.
In the afternoon enjoy a short walk along the Haa Valley View Trail as you make your way to another homestay to enjoy a delicious Yak Sha meal with suja and local organic produce. If you’re feeling adventurous try two of Haa’s most unique dishes: Philu and Maa sha. Philu is a very unique fermented cheese mostly found in Haa. The cheese dish has a slight bitter and pungent taste. Maasha on the other hand is a rare slow-dried meat that is quite an experiment if you’re not used to such type of raw meat. Contact your homestay in advance to make sure these items are available and enquire on price as well. Follow up with local ara as you enjoy a nice hot stone bath at the homestay.
Day 2: Food Souvenir Shopping
As you come to the end of your culinary journey in Haa, you can take home some of the best of what Haa has to offer. You can take fresh trout, philu cheese, smoked hard yak cheese and dried yak meat. Haa’s cuisine is a unique testament to the resilient diet of Bhutan’s people who have had to live through tough conditions. Tasting the local cuisine takes visitors on a storytelling journey where travelers experience the land’s proud history through their food’s taste and sourcing. Don’t just eat the food but understand its history as well.
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