Using milk from our own yaks, we make a variety of European-style cheeses at the lodge. We have aging caves/spaces for different types of cheese and all of our cheese is made with milk from our own yaks.
We offer classes for beginning and intermediate cheesemakers, either just for fun or if considering starting a cheese business. Workshops include half-day, full-day, and 7-day workshops.
Half-Day Workshop: We offer half-day workshops in Brie, Camembert, or Feta cheese. These are on demand and included free with a lodge stay or according to our a la carte activity pricing.
Full-Day Workshop: Full day cheese workshops allow us to make hard cheese, like cheddar or gouda. These are on demand and included free with a lodge stay or according to our a la carte activity pricing.
Beginning Cheesemaking: 7 Day Course: This course offers 3-6 hours per day of cheesemaking, always with fresh yak milk, and we will practice a variety of fresh and aged cheeses, with the goal of increasing basic skills like temperature regulation, curd-cutting, and mixing properly. We will view cheese in various states of aging, and learn about hard pressed cheeses as well as mold-ripened cheeses like Brie and Blue. Come make cheese and meet new friends!
- Offfered June 16-22, August 13-19, and September 7-13, 2025
- 4-8 participants
- CNY 4960/USD 688 per person, with transport from Chengdu, 2 person shared room for 6 nights, all meals, cheesemaking instruction, and listed activities included.
Day 1: Making Feta from start to finish. This is a good starting cheese to practice basic skills and familiarize yourself with the process, and will only take about 2 hours total.
Day 2: Traditional Cheddar: This is an all-day trial-by-fire effort at a hard cheese. The process shows us how to slowly wrest moisture from cheese to make a hard cheese, without losing fat content. We learn several new processes including water bath, pressing, and, eventually, waxing.
Day 3: Brie and Camembert: Today, we will make both types of white-mold cheese, with a long break at midday for personal fun. These cheeses are relatively simple, but the aging process needs to be performed carefully. They are great cheeses to learn because a dedicated refrigerator can do the job, and students should be able to replicate this cheese at home.
Day 4: Off-day for one’s own fun. Join a nomad life workshop in the morning and see where all this milk has been coming from! Or Join an all-day Temple Tour and learn about Buddhism in this area.
Day 5: While tending our previous cheeses as they start the aging process, start a blue cheese.
Day 6: Gouda. Try your hand at another hard cheese, this one different because it is washed curd, and brined.
Day 7: As our class comes to an end, choose your own type of cheese to experiment with, or to have a second try at.
