In most countries, chillies are added to food as a flavouring — a small amount to add heat. In Bhutan, chillies are treated as a vegetable in their own right, eaten in large quantities. The Bhutanese use both fresh green chillies and dried red chillies, and the dish has a rich, creamy flavour from the cheese that balances the heat. Bhutanese chillies are quite hot — even Bhutanese people sometimes say their food is very spicy!
The cheese used in ema datshi is a fresh, soft local variety called 'datshi'. It is white and crumbly when fresh, and melts into the chilli sauce as it cooks, creating a thick, velvety liquid that coats the chillies. Different regions of Bhutan make their own versions — some add yak cheese, some add potatoes or mushrooms. You will always find it paired with red rice, which is another Bhutan speciality.
Ema datshi is so central to Bhutanese life that there is even a saying: a meal without ema datshi is not a real meal. It is made in almost every household every day, and recipes are passed from grandmothers and grandfathers to grandchildren. When people from Bhutan travel abroad, one of the first things they say they miss is ema datshi. For Bhutanese children, it is as comforting as a favourite home-cooked dish anywhere in the world.