INGREDIENT KNOWLEDGE · DAIRY
Datshi is a traditional Bhutanese fresh soft cheese and one of the defining ingredients of Bhutanese cooking. Its name appears in dishes such as ema datshi, kewa datshi, and shamu datshi, where the cheese forms a creamy, savory sauce around chilies, potatoes, mushrooms, or other ingredients.
What datshi is
Traditional datshi is produced from milk through souring and coagulation. Bhutanese dairy research describes it as a soft, unripened cheese with high moisture content. Traditional household production can begin with naturally fermented milk, followed by butter separation and heating of the remaining buttermilk so the proteins coagulate into curds that are collected and pressed.
Flavor and texture
- Texture: soft, moist, crumbly to creamy depending on production and freshness.
- Flavor: fresh dairy, mildly tangy, savory, and lactic.
- Cooking behavior: softens into sauces rather than behaving like a mature hard cheese.
How it is used
- Ema datshi: chilies cooked with datshi, often considered Bhutan’s signature dish.
- Kewa datshi: potatoes with cheese sauce.
- Shamu datshi: mushrooms cooked with datshi.
- Other vegetable dishes: the cheese can form a rich sauce around seasonal produce.
Food safety and storage
Because datshi is a high-moisture fresh cheese, it requires careful refrigeration and hygienic handling. Research from Bhutan’s National Dairy Research and Development Centre has documented microbiological risks in traditionally produced raw-milk datshi, reinforcing the importance of clean milk production, pasteurization where appropriate, protected processing, and cold storage. Commercial or home cooks should use datshi from a trusted source and follow the producer’s use-by and refrigeration guidance.
Substitutions outside Bhutan
No substitute exactly reproduces datshi. A mild fresh farmer-style cheese, cottage cheese drained of excess whey, or a mixture of fresh cheese with a small amount of mild melting cheese can approximate some of the creaminess. Avoid strongly aged cheeses if the goal is a Bhutanese-style flavor profile.
Chef notes
In ema datshi, the cheese should support the chili rather than bury it under heavy dairy flavor. Use enough moisture to create a sauce and avoid aggressive boiling, which can make some substitute cheeses split or become oily.
References
- Choki, Kinley; Zangmo, Sonam; and Norbu, Phuntsho T. “Microbial Quality of Traditionally Produced Butter and Cheese (Datshi).” Bhutan Journal of Animal Science, 2021.
- National Dairy Research and Development Centre, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan.
- Visit Bhutan. “Cuisine of Bhutan” — traditional cheese and ema datshi overview.