The yak cheese, a distinctive food handmade by Tibetans, has helped lift local people out of poverty in Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The yak cheese, made from fresh yak milk, is often seen as a snack and favored by local people, especially herdsmen. It's one of the main products made by local cooperatives, raising villagers' income considerably. Yak cheese is often made by hand. When the yak milk is heated, it turns into curds. Local people will keep kneading the curds along the pot and wash it in whey that has been separated from the milk. The whole process makes it elastic and sticky. While it is still hot, the cheese will be shaped into long, thin pieces. After air drying, the yak cheese is done. The technique of making the yak cheese was listed as one of the intangible cultural heritage in Tibet Autonomous Region in 2019.
