Qinghai Traditional Yogurt

Qinghai Traditional Yogurt

　　Qinghai Traditional Yogurt has a long history in the ethnic diet of Qinghai. As early as 641 AD, during the folk tale of Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty traveling through the Riyue Mountain and Daotang River near Qinghai Lake on her way to Tibet, there are records of yogurt. In the epic "Gesar," which can be called an encyclopedia of ancient Tibetan society, there are also many records about yogurt. It is evident that yogurt has been present in Qinghai for at least a thousand years.

　　Nutrition

　　The nutritional value of yogurt far exceeds that of fresh cow (or sheep) milk. It contains various types of lactic acid, lactose, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and more. For people with stomach problems, drinking it can promote gastric acid secretion, and instead of causing bloating or diarrhea after consumption, it actually aids digestion and relieves flatulence. Qinghai Traditional Yogurt is not just simple yogurt—it represents the natural, pollution-free, pure ecological green food from the Sanjiangyuan region of Qinghai. The fermentation process does not use any artificial additives (preservatives), making it a true green food. Moreover, it is distinguished by the brewing techniques of the plateau’s Hui (and Salar) people, allowing Qinghai Traditional Yogurt to be produced according to halal standards. As a genuinely halal, green, and nutritious food, Qinghai Traditional Yogurt stands out as the best choice.

　　Development

　　Now, in response to the national call for agricultural industrialization and the path of sustainable development, the yogurt food industry under the brand of Qinghai Yogurt has begun to take shape. It has established itself on the plateau, stepped beyond the plateau, and moved toward the world. Qinghai Traditional Yogurt will make a significant contribution to Qinghai’s economic development. Currently, the storage technology for Qinghai Yogurt still needs improvement due to its short shelf life. In the origin region of Qinghai, the yogurt can only reach markets nationwide via air transport. Meanwhile, yak yogurt, rich in nutrition and with a pure taste, is an excellent choice for both household use and premium gifting. Please note that currently, the main products from domestic brands on the market are mostly small packaged, fruit-flavored items, and most differ in taste from traditional Qinghai yogurt—being sweeter with a milder sourness. Due to the short shelf life of yogurt, the difference in taste between products from other regions and those made locally means that the impact on the local yogurt market is not significant. The nostalgic feel makes older generations of Qinghai residents prefer the pure taste and flavor of traditional yogurt.

　　Traditional Yogurt Everywhere – But Which One Is Authentic?

　　More than 800 years ago, Traditional Yogurt was born in Qinghai, but it didn’t venture out to see the world until just a couple of years ago. For that occasion, it specially designed a blue-and-white porcelain-style jacket printed with the sign “Qinghai Traditional Yogurt.” It wobbled all the way from the plateau eastward and finally entered the nation’s capital, Beijing. To its dismay, instead of being treated as the “pride of heaven,” it discovered within days of arriving in Beijing that the streets were full of other “Traditional Yogurts” wearing the same type of jacket. Their origins included the northeast, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and even Anhui and Hubei. At this point, Qinghai Traditional Yogurt was a bit baffled.

　　Rapid Rise in Popularity After Arriving in Beijing

　　Starting from the temple fairs in Beijing earlier this year, Qinghai Traditional Yogurt officially entered the Beijing market. Through word-of-mouth among young consumers, it briefly experienced a “Luoyang Paper is Expensive”-level craze. When summer arrived, online forums buzzed with mail-order and proxy-purchase services, and the amplifying effect of the internet turned Traditional Yogurt into a fashionable consumer product. Nowadays, it is sold in both small street shops and large supermarkets in Beijing. The trend of stopping on the street to buy a drink gave rise to the habit of “grabbing a cup of Traditional Yogurt.” The popularity of this new product attracted many major brands to crowd into the market, including well-known companies such as Mengniu and Wandashan. Their marketing spread from Qinghai to the northeast, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, and even Hubei. The influx of businesses also sparked a war of words, with all parties claiming to be the authentic one. “Historical records show that this method of consumption by Qinghai herders has an 800-year history, and we were the first to industrialize this production method,” insisted Wang Weisheng, General Manager of Qinghai Xiaoxinniu Biological Dairy Co., Ltd., firmly stating that they are the origin of the currently popular Qinghai Traditional Yogurt. In previous interviews, companies from Inner Mongolia and the northeast have also claimed local traditions in consuming Traditional Yogurt, asserting their own status as the orthodox. Behind the various claims, the question remains—who truly is?

　　Who Inherits the “Orthodox Tradition”?

　　The story of Qinghai Traditional Yogurt goes like this: On an evening 800 years ago, a serf couple herding livestock for their master wandered far and encountered a snowstorm. In a panic to find shelter, they accidentally left a pot of boiled milk outside the tent. The next day, the milk had solidified and fermented into a tofu-like yogurt that needed to be chewed. They relied on this bucket of yogurt to make it back home. Alright, I admit—it might just be a nice story. In fact, historical records only mention that herders began consuming Traditional Yogurt 800 years ago. To this day, in various parts of Qinghai, herders still eat this traditional yogurt, serving it in bowls and scooping it with small spoons. Because of its unique production method, many visitors to Qinghai are attracted to it. The reason it could enter modern cities on a commercial scale lies in the fact that its production method has moved away from traditional handicrafts and achieved mass production. “We applied to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce through the Qinghai Administration for Industry and Commerce to register the trademark ‘Qinghai Traditional Yogurt,’ and it is now in the public notice period,” emphasized Wang Weisheng. He added that trademarks with regional indicators are often difficult to get officially approved and usually need to be tied to historical culture and tradition. If the application is ultimately approved, then the debate over the “orthodox tradition” will speak for itself.