Bhutan

The official language of Bhutan is Dzonghka, which is related to Tibetan. Sharchopkha is a major regional language spoken in eastern Bhutan, and Bumthangkha is spoken in the Bumthang region. English and Hindi are understood by most people in urban areas. The suffix 'la' is an honorific, and many Bhutanese feel that their remarks sound too harsh if it is not used, and this carries over even into English. So, don't be surprised if you hear expressions such as "Yes-la" or "I'm not sure-la". It just implies respect. See: Dzongkha phrasebook, Sharchopkha phrasebook and Bumthangkha phrasebook

Rice is a staple with every meal. Vegetable or meat dishes cooked with chili and/or cheese comprise the accompanying cuisine. Bhutanese food has one predominant flavor - chili. This small red condiment is not only added to every dish but is also often eaten raw. So, if you don't like spicy-hot food, make this abundantly clear before ordering a meal. Otherwise, you'll be spending the next hour with your mouth under the faucet!

Vegetarian dishes

• Ema-datsi - ema means chili and datsi is cheese, so ema-datsi is a kind of spiced-up Welsh rarebit.
• Kewa-datsi - a potato, cheese and chili dish.
• Shamu-datsi - a mushroom, cheese and chili dish.

Kewa-datsi and shamu-datsi tend to be less hot that ema-datsi; all three dishes are served with rice.

• Though not a Bhutanese dish, mutter-paneer (curried peas and cheese) is readily available throughout Bhutan and is therefore an additional choice for vegetarians.
• Cheese momo - a small steamed bun that traditionally contained cheese, cabbage and sometimes onion. However, these days other vegetables, including green papaya, may be substituted for cabbage.
• Buckwheat cakes - small rounds of bread made from buckwheat - a kind of Bhutanese nan bread. These are a specialty of the Bumthang area.
• Bumthang Puta - a kind of buckwheat noodle.

Local spirit brewed from rice or corn called ara is popular among village folk. Tea is also very popular in Bhutan and many people prefer butter tea (suja) to sweet milk tea.

• Bhutanese woven cloth is prized around the world. It is available stitched into clothing, wall hangings, table mats and rugs.
• Yathra is brightly colored woven material made from wool and dyed with natural colors. It is sold in pieces or sewn into jackets, bags, rugs and wall hangings. Yethra is available in Thimphu and other cold areas, but is a speciality of the Jakar area.
• Hand made wooden bowls (dappa) are a wonderful and practical souvenir. The halves of the bowl fit tighly together so they can be used to carry cooked food, which is their function in Bhutan. However, they also make excellent salad or cookie bowls. Dappa are a speciality of the Trashi Yangtse region, but can be purchased throughout the country.
• Small woven baskets serve the same purpose as the dappa bowls and also have two tightly fitting halves, but are made of bamboo reeds. These baskets, which are a specialty of the south of Bhutan and come in various designs, are available throughout the country.
• Dzi beads are available throughout the kingdom. These oblong, brown and cream colored beads, which are are unique to the Himalayas, used to be cheap until wealthy Taiwanese took a liking to them. Now they are an expensive and precious commodity, and there are many fakes.

• The international dialing code for Bhutan is 975
• Most centers of population have internet cafes, though they are relatively expensive. Thimphu has broad band connection.
• Telephone call booths are existent in major towns in Bhutan
• Most of Bhutan has mobile phone coverage, and as B-Mobile has agreements with some Asian and Europe countries on mobile roaming, cellular phones from these countries can be operated in Bhutan