He adds that inBhutan, every village has its own recipes.
Many houses here are empty.
But even the tiny Himalayan kingdom between China and India has its problems.
The women of Nobgang.
More and more people are leaving the countryside to move to the cities, or even abroad.
Women from the village join the restaurant staff for traditional singing and dancing.
If youre looking for a five-star hotel, this is not it, says Mr. Wangchuk.
A 40-minute drive from Punakha in central Bhutan, along steep serpentine roads past vast rice terraces and dense jungle-like forests, the clouds give way to an impressive hilltop dotted with a temple and surrounding houses.
This is how the Bhutanese live.
Theres no Wi-Fi, no TV.
Instead, the opportunity to experience the true heart of Bhutanese culture; the real Bhutan.
Women from the village join the restaurant staff for traditional singing and dancing.
Guests come for lunch or dinner at the restaurant, or to stay overnight.
For lunch, guests gather around a low table laden with authentic dishes in decorated wooden bowls.
Tenzin Zangmo is one of them.
For lunch, guests gather around a low table laden with authentic dishes in decorated wooden bowls.
I can see how Ive improved.
Her colleague, Namgay Wangm, feels the same way: I love interacting with the guests.
A group of women from the village joins in: Before, this building was empty.
Pema Lham.
Now, were very happy to come here and eat.
(So do many Bhutanese, from as far away as Thimphu.)
Tree tomatos growing in the organic gardens.
Namgay Wangmo.
Nobgang B&B is supported by both the Department of Culture in Bhutan and the World Bank.
Everything they earn from the restaurant and the farm stay goes back into the community.
And then we have agreed to deposit 30% in an account.
Tenzin Zangmo.
This is what we call a community stewardship program.
With Nobgang B&B as a pioneer, more community projects should follow.
Mr. Wangchuck describes it as a three-star hotel, but with a traditional structure.
Tree tomatos growing in the organic gardens.
This is due to the fact that a hermit once lived here.
The women of Nobgang.
Lunch is served upstairs.
The women of Nobgang.
We call the roomkabuna.
If I asked the staff to bring some tea to thekabuna, they would go straight to that room.
A bowl of jatsa gongdo.
On a traditional Bhutanese hearth, Namgay Wangmo shows guests how to make jatsa gongdo, a typical egg dish from Nobgang.
But in Nobgang, its a unique recipe made from nine specific ingredients, including fish mint.
In the old days, this was considered a royal delicacy and the process behind it is very complicated.
It takes a lot of time and resources, says Mr. Wangchuck.
Namgay Wangmo then carefully pours the mixture through a small strainer, swirling it as she taps it with a wooden stick so that the droplets fry in the sizzling hot oil and slowly form a fine cluster that is both crispy and fluffy.
Thats why Nobgang B&B also offers cooking classes.
We have a go at involve the youth.
And also teach them.
A bowl of jatsa gongdo.
Thats the reason why we don’t hide our recipes.
We don’t want them to disappear, we want them to spread.
