Milk Processing System in the Hilly Terrain of Central Nepal

Abstract

This research was conducted in the hilly terrain of Central Nepal, where Tibetan Tamang people of Buddhist faith predominantly reside. The purpose of the research is to identify the milk processing system of the Tamang people, discuss the regional communality of the milk processing system by comparing it against the other non-Tibetan populations in the same village and analyze the evolution and the distinctive regional characteristics of the milk processing system in the hilly terrain of Central Nepal. The characteristics of the Tamang people’s milk processing system can be summarized as follows: 1) They only use the fermentation processes, 2) There are times when they add lactic fermentation starter to make sour milk and other times they do not, 3) They use a wooden tub with a stirrer to churn butter, 4) They separate butter oil from raw milk to preserve milk fat, and 5) They do not make cheese out of raw milk to preserve milk protein. Since the milk processing systems of the Tamang people are completely consistent with those of the Danuwar, Newar, and Parbate Hindu people, the milk processing system has transcended ethnic groups and has become communal to the region. As a result of comparatively analyzing the surrounding regions, it was understood that the Tibetan Tamang people’s milk processing system had transformed in the hilly terrain of Central Nepal from the milk processing system used by the Tibetan pastoralists in the Tibetan highlands to the milk processing system used by the Hindu people in the Indian lowland. The hilly terrain of Central Nepal is located at about 1,000 meters above sea level and it can be said that this region is in the same milk culture area as the Indian lowland.