Chur-shel, locally also known as Tha-dra or Ta-chu, is a traditional dried yak cheese associated particularly with the highland communities of Haa. Outside Haa, it is commonly referred to as Haa-pai Chu-go or Haa-pai Ruto, reflecting its distinctive size, hardness, and durability. In Bhutan, Chu-go (written as Wylie: phyur go) generally refers to dried cheese, usually produced in small rectangular or cubical pieces and consumed slowly by keeping it in the mouth, much like chewing gum. However, Haa-pai Chu-go differs considerably in size and form. It is made from raw and smoked dried cheese, generally measuring approximately 10 centimetres in length, and is strung into a garland using yak-hair thread.

The names associated with this traditional cheese reflect its distinctive form and preparation. Chur is a shortened form of Chu-go, referring to dried cheese, while Shel or Shey denotes a garland-like arrangement. Tha-dra refers to cheese pieces threaded together, while Ta-chu refers to pieces of Chu-go that are joined or held together in a series. Among neighbouring communities, particularly in Wangdue Phodrang, Punakha, Thimphu, and Paro, the product is widely known as Haa-pai Chu-go, meaning “dried cheese of Haa,” or Haa-pai Ruto, meaning “bone of Haa,” a name that reflects its exceptional hardness.

According to Ap Tshering Penjor, an elderly practitioner from Haa, the precise origin of Chur-shel cannot be traced, but the practice is believed to have been passed down from their forefathers. It represents an important dairy product developed by highland pastoral communities and demonstrates indigenous knowledge of food preservation. Traditionally, Chur-shel is prepared from yak curd. The curd is heated and, before it reaches boiling point, fermented curd is added to separate the cheese. The resulting cheese is transferred into a pot lined with a fine cloth to allow the whey to drain. It is then placed between stone slabs, with another stone used as a weight to press out the remaining moisture. Once sufficiently drained, the cheese is removed from the cloth, cut into the desired shapes, threaded into a garland, and hung above the hearth to dry and absorb smoke.

Different varieties are prepared using variations in the processing method. Tha-dra is cut into small cubical pieces and cooked with tea leaves, giving the cheese a distinctive maroon colour. Ta-chu is cut into rectangular pieces and cooked in fresh milk, producing a white colour and a rich milky flavour. These variations demonstrate the community's knowledge of adapting dairy products to create different colours, textures, tastes, and forms.

Chur-shel has traditionally been an important everyday food for highland herders, particularly while tending yaks in remote grazing areas. It is hard texture, long shelf life, and nutritional value make it well suited to the demanding lifestyle of pastoral communities. It is also shared among family members and presented as a valued gift to relatives, friends, and guests. In earlier times, its production and exchange primarily served household consumption and social and cultural purposes, while in the present day, Chur-shel is increasingly produced and sold commercially, providing an additional source of income for highland households. Thus, its continued production and exchange not only support local livelihoods but also help maintain social relationships and sustain the traditional dairy heritage of Haa's highland communities.

As a traditional highland dairy product, Chur-shel embodies valuable knowledge of yak husbandry, cheese production, food preservation, and resource management. Its continued preparation demonstrates the resilience of Haa's pastoral food traditions. However, changing lifestyles and the decline of traditional yak herding practices may place this knowledge at risk. Documenting the preparation, terminology, tools, ingredients, and cultural uses of Chur-shel is therefore important for safeguarding and transmitting this distinctive culinary heritage to younger generations.

The taste and preparation of Chur-go, particularly Haa-pai Chu-go and Haa-pai Ruto, are closely associated with the highland communities of Haa and represent an important element of their traditional dairy heritage. This distinctive dried dairy product is valued for its rich flavour, nutritional value, durability, and cultural significance. Traditionally, it has been prepared mainly for household consumption, barter and exchange, gifting, and income generation rather than as an ingredient for ritual feast offerings.

In earlier times, Chur-go was commonly prepared for household consumption and exchanged through barter or presented as gifts to distinguished guests, government officials, spiritual masters, relatives, and friends as an expression of respect, hospitality, and goodwill. Within the community, sharing this delicacy continues to strengthen social relationships and reflects traditional values of generosity and reciprocity. Its production and sale also provide an important source of supplementary income for highland households.

Beyond its nutritional and economic value, Chur-go embodies the knowledge, skills, and traditions associated with highland dairy production. Its distinctive taste, preparation methods, and long-standing use demonstrate how food can carry cultural meanings beyond nourishment, serving as an expression of identity, hospitality, and community connection. The continued preparation, consumption, exchange, and commercialization of Chur-go therefore contribute not only to household livelihoods but also to the safeguarding and transmission of Haa's distinctive highland culinary heritage to younger generations.

According to Ap Tshering Penjor, he has lived and worked in the highlands with his father since the age of 20, acquiring extensive knowledge and skills in yak herding and the preparation of traditional dairy products such as varieties of chu-gos. Much of this knowledge was transmitted to him by his father through direct instruction and hands-on practice, demonstrating the importance of family-based and intergenerational learning in sustaining highland pastoral traditions. However, modernization, formal education, and changing aspirations have encouraged younger generations to seek alternative livelihoods, resulting in fewer families continuing traditional yak herding. Some households now entrust their yaks to hired herders, allowing dairy production to continue but reducing direct family participation in pastoral practices.

To support households affected by the decline in yak herding, the Royal Government of Bhutan has introduced hybrid Jersey cattle as an alternative source of milk and dairy products. These cattle have enabled families to continue producing modified forms of traditional foods and other dairy products. While such measures contribute to household livelihoods and help sustain aspects of traditional food practices, the declining involvement of younger generations highlights the need to document and transmit the knowledge, skills, and cultural values associated with yak herding. Safeguarding these practices is essential to ensure that the traditional highland heritage of Haa is not lost amid changing lifestyles and socio-economic conditions.

Preparation Process:

1. Immediately after milking, strain the fresh milk through a fine sieve to remove impurities.
2. Allow the milk to ferment and turn into curd.
3. Churn the curd to extract the butter.
4. Heat the remaining curd gently over the fire.
5. Add fermented curd to the warm curd and continue heating.
6. Stir gently for approximately 15 minutes until the cheese separates and forms.
7. Transfer the formed cheese into a pot lined with a clean, fine cloth to allow the whey to drain.
8. Tie the cloth securely and place the cheese between stone slabs to press out the remaining moisture. The upper stone used as a weight should not exceed approximately 20 kilograms.
9. Leave the cheese under pressure overnight and remove it from the stone slabs the following day.
10. Cut the pressed cheese slab into pieces of the desired size and shape, depending on the type of Chu-go being prepared.
11. Thread the cheese pieces together using a needle to form a shel/shey-ko (garland).
12. Place the cheese garlands in a traditional bamboo basket and suspend them above the hearth, where they are gradually dried and smoked by the heat. (If Tha-dra is being prepared, the cheese is first cooked again in yak or cow milk and then dried thoroughly hanging in the sun or a well-ventilated space to prevent the growth of mould or fungus).
13. Once the cheese becomes hard and completely dry, it is ready for storage, consumption, gifting, or other intended purposes.

Preparation Tools and Ingredients:

1. Om – Yak milk, the primary ingredient used for making Chur-shel.
2. Dhob – A traditional wooden container used to collect and hold milk during milking.
3. Zho – Fermented milk or curd used in the cheese-making process.
4. O-zom – A traditional churner used to churn the curd and extract butter.
5. Ka-la-zam – A traditional pot used for heating and preparing the cheese.
6. Zen-cha – A ladle used for stirring and transferring ingredients during preparation.
7. Ka-ta-la – A knife used for cutting and slicing Chur-shel Pho-leb.
8. En-tse – A chopping board used for cutting and shaping the cheese.
9. Rey – A clean cloth used to wrap the cheese and drain out excess moisture.
10. Kueb – A thread used to string the cheese pieces together into a garland.
11. Ba-gi Dra-chey – A traditional bamboo basket used to hold and dry the prepared cheese.
12. Mey – Fire or hearth used to dry and smoke the cheese.

Taklung Village under Bji Gewog is one of the remote communities in Haa Dzongkhag, comprising approximately 80 households. Most of the houses retain traditional two-storey structures built with rammed earth and timber, reflecting the architectural heritage of the region. Surrounded by mountains, the village remains relatively secluded but is connected to the Haa Dzongkhag Administration by a farm road. It can be reached via the Haa–Damthang Army Camp road, turning at Chundhu Sawmill and continuing towards Chundhu Central School. Traditionally, the community depended largely on highland cattle rearing, complemented by the cultivation of wheat, barley, potatoes, and various vegetables. However, the demanding nature of highland pastoral life, coupled with increasing access to formal education and changing aspirations among younger generations, has contributed to a decline in yak-rearing households. At present, only about 20 of the 80 households continue to rear highland cattle.

Despite these changes, Taklung remains one of the communities in Haa where aspects of the traditional highland pastoral way of life are still maintained. Yak-rearing households produce a variety of dairy products, including yak butter, cheese, dried cheese, Phelu, Chur-go Gor-gom, and different varieties of Chur-shel, primarily for household consumption and increasingly for commercial purposes. Households without yaks depend mainly on agriculture, cultivating potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and other vegetables, while some produce and sell flour made from wheat, barley, sweet buckwheat, and bitter buckwheat. Although changing livelihoods and the decline in yak-rearing households pose challenges to the continuity of traditional pastoral practices, the continued production of highland dairy products and agricultural goods demonstrates the community's resilience. More importantly, these practices preserve valuable knowledge and skills related to yak husbandry, dairy processing, food preservation, and traditional agriculture, contributing to the safeguarding and transmission of Haa's highland cultural heritage to future generations.

Data collected by: Lopen Tsheringla, Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development. Translated by: Yeshi Lhendup, National Library & Archives of Bhutan.