The Chhurpi also known as Nepalese cheese or Durkha it is one of the many varieties of cheeses produced in the world. acclaimed the hardest cheese in the worldis often also called Himalayan gum. This dairy product is nothing like the cheese we find in stores.
Rich in protein and with a smoky flavor and a hard consistency (like a rock), gradually becomes more chewier or chewy, the longer it is in contact with saliva. Made from the chauri milka cross between a male yak and a female cow, is an ox native to the mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas.
Tipling, is a village in Nepal and best known for making Chhurpi. Farmers here prepare it on dairy farms by boiling buttermilk. Once the boiled mixture becomes denser, the solid mass is separated from the liquid. This is then shaped as desired and hung to further dry for 1-2 days. Once the drying process is complete, it is fermented to give it a unique, smoky flavor.
One of the main characteristics of the hardest cheese in the world is that it is kept for a long period of time, there are even specimens that reach 20 years. The cheese masters store the cheese in a special yak skin to keep it fresh. Another peculiarity is that it helps people to keep warm in extreme winters. People living in the Himalayan regions of Nepal have a habit of chewing this cheese every morning to withstand the extremely low temperatures.
They used to chew small cubes of Chhurpi for hours and hours, as a hard chewing gum that softens with time and saliva. Ideally, take a bite or piece and let it sit in your mouth for about 5-7 minutes so it can get moist and then start chewing it. On the contrary, you may not enjoy the flavors and suffer from a toothache.
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Chhurpi can be consumed in a number of ways – the mild variety can be used as an appetizer or garnish for rice, same to make meatballs and momos (a variation of dumpling, it is a cooked dough and filled with different ingredients). Many add it to other vegetables, noodles, and soups as an ingredient. It’s almost a essential seasoning on the nepalese cuisine and participates in many of their dishes.
A unique use for the chhurpi is to transform into a snacks for dogs. While most cheeses are associated with being high in fat, chhurpi is high in protein. In their stick, bar or ball format, they are long-lasting chewy snacks that take care of the lymphatic system and the gastrointestinal mucosa.
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In DAP | https://www.directoalpaladar.com/cultura-gastronomica/how-to-hacer-una-tasting-of-cheese-with-the-five-senses