Bhutanese dishes follow simple recipes, but they taste very good. At least, that is what I think and some of my foreigner friends have told me. They are hot and spicy. The staple food of the Bhutanese is rice, vegetables and meat. Bhutanese don't eat unusual meat like the meat of rat, dog, horse or snakes. But they eat beef, pork, chicken and yak-meat.

If you are interested to learn more about Bhutanese food, please visit the Bhutanese food site created by a Bhutanese student at thinley.tripod.com/recipe/index.html or a site called 'Food of the Shangrila' at www.culinarypleasures.com/bhutan.htm.

For those on a normal tourist visa, the cost of all meals served is covered by the 'fixed daily tourist tariff'. If you are a tourist who has paid 'fixed daily rates', you don't have to pay any extra money irrespective of the kind of meals you order. For the tourists, Chinese, Indian, and Continental dishes are served. If you want to experiment, you can also try the hot Bhutanese dishes.

For tourists on treks, meals served may be simple but nutritious and tasty. Meals are normally served buffet style in the hotels.

The 'fixed daily rate' includes all meals in Bhutan and may include complimentary mineral water, beer and local drinks. Your last meal served by your tour operator will be the breakfast on the day of your departure from Bhutan .