yak-chhurpi

Yak Chhurpi Chhurpi is a very hard, chewing cheese made in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. In Nepal, it is called either "Chhuga Chhurpi" or just "Chhurpi." In Bhutan, it is called "Durukhowa" or "Durukho". Chhurpi can be made from buttermilk, skim milk or whole milk. Whole milk is actually the least preferred, not only because the fat in the whole milk can be used for other dairy products, but also because whole milk yields a cheese that is softer and won't store as well. An ideal milk mixture (expressed in more Western terms) would be approximately 7/8 skim milk, 1/8 half fat milk. The milk is heated to 140 to 149 F (60 - 65 C.) Fermented milk is added to the mixture, which is allowed to curdle while it cooks further. It is then strained, put into wooden moulds, and pressed with stones for 24 hours. It is then cut into small cheeses which are let dry for 12 to 15 days, or dried with smoke for 10 days. The cheese ends up as hard as a piece of chalk. It can also be made from Sewsew cheese.