Himalayan Gold: How a Ladakhi Herder’s Yak Cheese Conquered a Global Stage

Background

In the high-altitude pastures of Ladakh’s Changthang region, 36-year-old Thenlay Nurboo maintains a grueling ancestral routine. At 16,600 feet, where temperatures hover near 1°C at dawn, Nurboo manually milks a herd of approximately 100 yaks. Each animal yields between 1 and 1.5 liters of milk daily, a nutrient-dense resource essential for survival in the Himalayas. For generations, this milk has been processed into butter, buttermilk, and chhurpe, a traditional cheese known for its earthy profile.

Key Facts

• Global Recognition: Nurboo’s soft yak chhurpe won a gold medal at the fourth Mundial do Queijo do Brasil, a biennial international dairy competition.
• Traditional Methods: The award-winning cheese features a smoky flavor derived from using yak dung as fuel and a texture influenced by the yaks' diet of Himalayan medicinal plants.
• Artisanal Production: Nurboo produces roughly 60 liters of milk daily, which is fermented, churned, and boiled into a ricotta-like consistency before being dried into a dense dough.
• Market Value: Sold at his roadside enterprise, Nomadic Farm, the specialized yak cheese currently commands a price of ₹2,000 per kilo.
• Indian Success: The Mundial do Queijo do Brasil saw four Indian wins, including Nurboo’s gold and three awards for the brand Eleftheria: Gulmarg (super gold), Brunost (gold), and Kaali Miri (silver).

Why It Matters

The international acclaim for chhurpe validates yak herding as a viable profession at a time when younger generations in Ladakh are increasingly moving toward tourism. The award has transformed local perceptions of a task once viewed by some families as a hardship or punishment. While the recognition has spurred demand from metropolitan restaurants in cities like Mumbai, Nurboo remains committed to small-scale artisanal production to protect grazing lands and maintain quality standards.

What Happens Next

Collaboration with the Animal Husbandry Department has already led to improved hygiene standards, including the transition from parachute-cloth drying to specialized drying shelves. Moving forward, experts suggest that naming the specific variety of cheese could provide it with a unique identity separate from the generic "chhurpe" label used across the Himalayas. Despite interest from large-scale buyers, Nurboo intends to maintain his current herd size, focusing on the seasonal variations of the cheese rather than industrial expansion.

Source: The Hindu - Lifestyle