Chhurpi
East Asian cheese
title: "Chhurpi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bhutanese-cuisine", "indian-cheeses", "nepalese-cuisine", "tibetan-cheeses", "yak's-milk-cheeses"] description: "East Asian cheese" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhurpi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary East Asian cheese ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox cheese"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Chhurpi |
| image | Chhurpi Nep.jpg |
| caption | Production of Chhurpi in Nepal |
| othernames | Durkha |
| country | Himalayan region |
| region | Himalayan region |
| source | Yak, Cattle |
| texture | Soft or hard |
| :: |
| name = Chhurpi | image = Chhurpi Nep.jpg | caption = Production of Chhurpi in Nepal | othernames = Durkha | country = Himalayan region | region = Himalayan region | town = | source = Yak, Cattle | pasteurized = | texture = Soft or hard | fat = | protein = | dimensions = | weight = | aging = | certification = Chhurpi (), otherwise known as durkha and chogo/chugo, is a traditional cheese consumed in Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Northeastern India. The two varieties of chhurpi are a soft variety (consumed usually as a side dish with rice) and a very hard variety. Chhurpi is considered one of the hardest cheeses in the world.
Preparation
Chhurpi is prepared in a local dairy or at home from buttermilk. The buttermilk is boiled and the solid mass that is obtained is separated from the liquid and wrapped and hung in a thin cloth to drain out the water. The product is rather like the Italian ricotta, which also is made from whey. It is soft, white, and neutral in taste. However, it is often left to ferment a bit to acquire a tangy taste.
To prepare the hard variety, the soft chhurpi is wrapped in a jute bag and pressed hard to get rid of the water. After it dries, it is cut into small cuboidal pieces and hung over fire to harden it further.
Consumption
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Hard_Chhurpi.jpg" caption="Hard Chhurpi"] ::
Soft chhurpi is consumed in a variety of ways, including cooking with green vegetables as savoury dishes, as a filling for momo, grinding with tomatoes and chillies for senpen (chutney) and as a soup. In the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, chhurpi is consumed as a substitute for vegetables because it is an excellent source of protein.
Hard chhurpi is usually consumed by keeping it in the mouth to moisten it, letting parts of it become soft, and then chewing it like a gum. In this manner, one block of chhurpi can last anywhere from 30 minutes to up to five hours.{{cite book | last1 = Cooper | first1 = Robert | last2 = Lin Yong | first2 = Jui | last3 = Duling | first3 = Kaitlyn | title = Bhutan | series = Cultures of the World | edition = 2nd | publisher = Marshall Cavendish Benchmark |location = New York | year = 2011 | isbn = 160870453X | page = 127
References
References
- "Bhutanese enjoy the hardest cheese in the world like chewing gums".
- "Chhurpi: The world's hardest cheese?".
- "Recipes & Cuisine (Chhurpi - Ningo Curry)".
- (2023-01-02). "Exploring trade prospects of Chhurpi and the present status of Chhurpi producers and exporters of Nepal". Journal of Ethnic Foods.
- "Chhurpi: The world's hardest cheese?".
- (16 June 2010). "Chhurpi". Local Nepali Food.
- (16 January 2017). "What is chhurpi cheese and how is it made and eaten".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::