ALL
dairy
ICH Elements 3
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Khar-phued: The First Offering Ritual
The people of Drangmaling-Nangar village in Tsamang Gewog, Mongar Dzongkhag in the eastern district gather every two years to perform Khar-phued. Literally, dairy product; milk, curd, cheese, butter, etc. were used as offerings. In other words, Kar means "wheat", Phued means "offering" - it is the offering of the first wheat harvest. Kharphu is a Bon ritual festival used to pay homage to local deities and ensure the well-being of the community, its households, livestock and crops. Kharphu is celebrated from the 26th day of the fourth month to the 2nd day of the fifth month according to the Bhutanese calendar. The village elders trace the origin of this ancient festival to the days of the creation of earth and sky (sachag namchag), as they do not know the exact century of origin or when it was held. The program and its components have been entirely preserved and passed down through oral tradition. This includes the ritual nightly exchange of songs that extends throughout the week. Apparently, this festival is in great danger of being lost in the modern cultural landscape.
Bhutan -
Phe-lu: A Special Nomadic diary product
Although the origin of yak breeding in Nubri is not known, it can be stated that it has been practiced there for a very long time. The villagers get almost all their needs from the yaks. Milk is the most important product obtained from the yaks. It is consumed either raw or boiled. Raw milk is also used to make tea, and it is also sold or bartered. Milk can also be used to make butter, which fetches a good price. There are two types of butter production: churning and machine processing. In churning, butter is traditionally made in a wooden vessel. In machine production, modern technology, a milk separator, is used to extract butter. Cheese and hard cheeses are also a good source of income for livestock farmers. Then the whey is used. Of all the products obtained from yak, Phe-lu is another unique traditional dish. Phe-lu is a sticky substance that tastes like aged cheese and is specially made from the milk of Bjim (female yaks). There are two types of Phe-lu: one made from milk and the other from curd. Phe-lu made from milk is considered better because cheese made from curd can easily turn into zoedey (fermented cheese). For a kilogram of milk Phe-lu, one gets about 800 to 1000 Ngultrum (Bhutanese currency), and for a kilogram of curd Phe-lu, slightly less, about 600 Ngultrum. It is usually produced in the highland areas where people depend mainly on livestock and dairy products. Phe-lu is a remarkable representation of nomadic life. It shows how nomads subsist only on milk, but in different ways, either by selling it or consuming it directly. In Paro Dzongkhag, Tsento Gewog is located in a highland area where yaks are raised and dairy products are either sold or bartered. Phe-lu, which is made from yak milk, is produced in Tsento Gewog. Phe-lu is mostly made in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th months of the Bhutanese calendar.
Bhutan -
Traditional knowledge related to making of dairy products (airan, suzmo, kurut, ezhigey, melted butter)
Kyrgyz people usually fermented dairy products. It can explained by the fact that fermented dairy products was the best way to preserve and consume milk. Main fermented cow dairy products are: ‘airan’ -yoghurt like product, which is fermented 5-6 hours; ‘suzmo’ which is prepared by adding some salt into airan. Suzmo also serves as a main ingredient for other dairy product such as ‘kurut’ (dried balls, made out of suzmo). Kurut used to be a snack in almost every household and has various types as ‘chii kurut’ or ‘mai kurut’. ‘Ezhigey’ is also one of the popular dairy products, which is particularly a cheese, made of sheep milk. Melted butter is prepared by boiling "kaymak" (fatty sour cream)
Kyrgyzstan