The cheese factory at Kyanjin dates from 1955, when Swiss technical assistance introduced cheese-making to give herders a way to turn surplus milk into something that keeps and sells. The building is modest, at the edge of the village near the yak pastures, and production depends on the season: it works mainly from late spring to autumn when animals graze in the upper valley and milk is plentiful.
What is made here is a firm, pale yellow cheese closer to a mountain cheese from the Alps than to the hard dried chhurpi you see in Nepali markets. Herders from the kharkas around Kyanjin and Langshisa bring milk from yaks and chauri, the yak-cow crossbreed. If the cheesemaker is around, you may see the wooden moulds and presses and the room where wheels mature.
You can buy cheese by weight at the factory or from lodges, and most kitchens in Kyanjin and Langtang village put it on toast, in pizza or in a cheese momo. A 100–200 g piece is a good snack for the Kyanjin Ri climb. If you are continuing to Gosaikunda, the smaller government dairy at Chandanbari makes cheese too, so you can compare.
Good for
- Families
- Couples
- First-timers
- Groups
Questions travellers ask
Is the Kyanjin cheese factory still working?
It operates seasonally, mainly when yaks are grazing in the upper valley from late spring to autumn. Even when production pauses, cheese is usually on sale at the factory or in lodges. Opening hours are informal, so ask your lodge owner in the afternoon. Check current status before you travel if seeing it working is important to you.
Is it real yak cheese?
Most of the milk comes from female yaks, called nak, and from chauri, a yak and cow crossbreed that gives more milk. The cheese is a hard, mild mountain cheese. Strictly, male yaks do not give milk, which is why locals smile when trekkers ask for yak milk; the female animal is the nak.
Can I take yak cheese back to India or abroad?
Hard cheese travels well in a sealed bag for a week or two at cool temperatures. For India, small personal quantities are normally fine in checked baggage. Many other countries restrict dairy imports, so check your home country's customs rules before buying a large block. Keep it out of hot cars in Kathmandu.
