Shakam Datshi

Shakam datshi is dried beef simmered in a sauce of chilli and cheese, a classic dish of Bhutan. Bhutan is a Himalayan kingdom where cooks often combine chillies and cheese in the same pot. Shakam datshi is closely related to ema datshi, the chilli and cheese stew that many Bhutanese treat as the national dish, with dried beef added to it.

What it really is

Shakam is beef cut into strips and air-dried until it is hard and light. Before cooking, the strips are soaked or simmered until soft again, then cooked with onion and garlic in a sauce built on chillies and cheese, which melts into a thick, rich liquid. Salt seasons the pot. The beef keeps a chewy texture and takes on the flavour of the sauce. Cooks vary the amount of cheese, the heat of the chillies and the cooking time, so two bowls can taste quite different.

Shakam datshi is made with dried beef, not fresh. Its texture is firmer and chewier than a fresh beef stew, and guests who expect that will find it a different dish.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl, with rice on the side, usually plain or red rice.
• Shared at the table with other dishes, as part of a meal rather than as a single plated course.
• Spicy, since the chilli is a central part of the dish and guests expect the heat.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat as dried beef, and say that it is simmered with chilli and cheese.
• Flag milk, because the cheese sauce contains dairy.
• State the heat level, since the chilli defines the dish. Offer a milder version only if the kitchen can make one consistently.
• List onion, garlic and salt as the standard seasoning, and say whether rice is included in the price.
• Explain that the beef is dried and chewy, so guests are not surprised when they taste it.