Breeds of Bumthang
Bhutan's central valleys, where Siri cattle, yaks and mithun crosses share high pastures around old temples.
Breeds of this place
Best time: March to May and September to November.
Bumthang is a group of four high valleys in central Bhutan, with Jakar as its main town. It is farming and herding country, where buckwheat replaces rice and cattle graze the slopes. Bhutanese farmers keep the native Siri cow, known locally as nublang, along with yaks on the high pastures and crosses between mithun and local cattle.
Cattle of Bhutan
Siri cattle are small, hardy humped cattle of the eastern Himalaya, black or black and white, kept for milk, manure and work. Mithun bulls from the hills are crossed with Siri cows to produce strong hybrids, long valued for ploughing and for milk rich in butterfat. Yak herders take their animals to pastures above the tree line in summer and bring them down to the valleys in winter.
Butter and datshi
In Bumthang, milk is churned into butter and the buttermilk is heated to make datshi, the soft cheese at the heart of ema datshi, the national dish of chillies and cheese. Butter lamps burn in every temple. The valleys hold some of Bhutan's oldest temples, among them Jambay Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang.
A trail idea for Bumthang
- Jakar town The main town of the valleys, below the Jakar fortress.
- Jambay Lhakhang One of the oldest temples in the kingdom, with an autumn festival.
- Ura valley A farming village of stone houses higher up, with cattle and yaks.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Bumthang District" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new breeds are written every day.