Yak or chauri milk cheese, either soft and crumbly or dried rock-hard for chewing. Himalayan herders press and smoke surplus milk into blocks that keep for months, and the hard version is chewed for hours on the trail.
The hard version needs months hanging above a hearth in dry high-altitude air, and it is made from yak or chauri milk that exists only where the herds do.
What goes into it
- yak or chauri milk, usually the buttermilk left after churning
- sometimes a souring agent
- smoke
How it is made
Buttermilk left after churning butter is boiled until it curdles, and the curd strained and pressed. Soft chhurpi is eaten within days. For the hard version the pressed curd is cut into blocks, tied with string and hung above the hearth for months, where smoke and dry mountain air harden it into something closer to wood than cheese.
How long it takes: days for soft; three months to a year hanging for hard
How it is eaten
Soft in curries and pickles; hard chewed slowly on the trail, or dropped into soup.
History
Himalayan herders press and smoke surplus milk into blocks that keep for months; the hard version is chewed for hours on the trail.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chhurpi?
Chhurpi is a cheese & dairy from Nepal: yak or chauri milk cheese, either soft and crumbly or dried rock-hard for chewing. Himalayan herders press and smoke surplus milk into blocks that keep for months; the hard version is chewed for hours on the trail.
How is Chhurpi made?
Buttermilk left after churning butter is boiled until it curdles, and the curd strained and pressed. Soft chhurpi is eaten within days. For the hard version the pressed curd is cut into blocks, tied with string and hung above the hearth for months, where smoke and dry mountain air harden it into something closer to wood than cheese. It takes days for soft; three months to a year hanging for hard.
Can I make Chhurpi at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The hard version needs months hanging above a hearth in dry high-altitude air, and it is made from yak or chauri milk that exists only where the herds do.
What goes into Chhurpi?
Yak or chauri milk, usually the buttermilk left after churning, sometimes a souring agent, smoke.
How is Chhurpi eaten?
Soft in curries and pickles; hard chewed slowly on the trail, or dropped into soup.
