Appetizers & nibbles

Chhurpi lhoo (yak cheese jerky)

Yak milk cheese that is fermented and then dried until it is as hard as stone. You chew it slowly or melt it into dishes; it is the mountain snack of Bhutan.

20 min
4 servings
Medium
Budget-friendly
🇧🇹 Bhutan

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Ingredients

1 l Yak milk (or whole cow's milk if you can't find yak)
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Melted butter
250 ml Water

Spices & seasoning

Fine salt

Optional extras

1 tsp Lemon juice (to curdle faster)

On the side

Butter tea

Nutrition facts

148 kcal per serving

Protein: 8.2 g
Carbohydrates: 12.7 g
of which sugars: 12.4 g
Fat: 7.1 g
of which saturated fat: 4.8 g
Fiber: 0 g

Ecomely’s estimate, calculated from the ingredients with the ANSES Ciqual food composition table, excluding sides and seasoning added to taste.

Instructions

Bring the milk to a simmer in a large pan, then let it cool slightly to about 40 °C.
Add the salt and the lemon juice if using, then stir gently until the milk starts to curdle into small lumps.
Drain the curds through cheesecloth or a clean cloth, then press them to remove the whey.
Knead the cheese by hand with the melted butter until you get a smooth, pliable paste.
Shape it into small blocks or balls, then dry them in the open air, away from direct sun, for one to two weeks, turning them every day.
The cheese is ready when it is hard and dry to the touch; it keeps for several months in a closed container.