Food walk across the Phuentsholing border
Start at the gate and walk into the market streets behind it. Small restaurants serve ema datshi, green or red chillies cooked in soft local cheese, along with kewa datshi with potatoes and shamu datshi with mushrooms. Red rice, slightly nutty and sticky, comes on the side. Plates cost about ₹200–350.
Look for suja, salted butter tea, and dried yak cheese called chugo, which is chewed slowly for hours. Grocery shops sell Bhutanese chilli powder, red rice and incense. Then step back through the gate to Jaigaon for Bengali sweets and tea, and notice how much changes in a hundred metres.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
How spicy is ema datshi?
Very spicy by most Indian standards. The chillies are the main ingredient, not a seasoning, and are cooked whole or sliced in cheese. Ask for kewa datshi, made with potatoes, or shamu datshi, made with mushrooms, for something milder. Eat it with plenty of red rice to balance the heat.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Phuentsholing?
Yes. The datshi dishes are vegetarian, and red rice, dal and vegetable momos are on most menus. Many restaurants in Phuentsholing and Jaigaon also serve Indian vegetarian thalis. Bhutanese cooking uses butter and cheese, so vegans should ask before ordering.
Can I bring Bhutanese food items back to India?
Packaged red rice, chilli powder, tea and dried cheese are commonly carried across for personal use. Large quantities may attract questions from customs at the border. Alcohol and tobacco rules differ, and Bhutan restricts tobacco sales, so keep purchases modest and keep receipts.
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