Traditional Bhutanese eating habits are simple and, in general, food is eaten with hands. Family members eat while sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor with food being served first to the head of the household.

It is usually women who serve the food and in most cases, the mother. Before eating, a short prayer is offered and a small morsel placed on the floor as an offering to the local spirits and deities. With modernization, eating habits have changed and in urban areas, people usually eat with cutlery whilst seated at a regular dining table.

Traditionally dishes were cooked in earthenware, but with the easy availability of modern goods, pots, pans, and rice cookers have largely replaced their use. A typical Bhutanese meal consists of red rice, a dish of Ema Datsi – the country’s favourite dish of chili and cheese, pork, beef curry, and lentils.