Cheese, yaks and a Swiss idea in the 1950s
In the 1950s Nepal had only just opened to the outside world, and Swiss development workers were looking for ways to help mountain herders earn more from their animals. In Langtang, Werner Schulthess introduced Swiss-style cheese-making, using the milk of yaks and nak and of yak-cow crossbreeds. The idea was simple: milk spoils, but hard cheese keeps and can be carried down to Kathmandu.
The cheese factory at Kyanjin is the best-known result. Herders bring milk from the summer pastures, and the cheese is pressed and aged in a simple building in the village. The work has continued for decades, under Nepali management, and Langtang cheese, a firm, mild yellow cheese, became something of a brand in Kathmandu shops and bakeries. Production is seasonal and depends on the herds and pastures.
Kyanjin's other life is religious. The small gompa, rebuilt after earthquake damage, is a village monastery of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition followed by the Langtangpa. Pilgrims and herders circle it, prayer flags run from its roof to the ridges, and on festival days the village gathers here. For trekkers, it is the quiet place to sit at the end of the valley before turning back.
