Join the effort to document and preserve Himalayan chhurpi knowledge
Chhurpi.org is an open knowledge project. We depend on researchers, field workers, photographers, producers, and scholars to grow and improve this resource. Whether you have original field research, photographs, corrections, or simply a question — we want to hear from you.
Questions about chhurpi, corrections to existing content, feedback on the website, or anything else — use this form to reach the chhurpi.org editorial team.
We aim to respond to all general enquiries within 3–5 working days. For urgent corrections affecting factual accuracy, please indicate "URGENT CORRECTION" in your message subject and we will prioritise your submission.
We accept original research, field notes, photographs, oral history recordings, nutritional data, and corrections from qualified contributors. All contributions are reviewed by our editorial board before publication.
Your submission will be reviewed by our editorial board within 2–3 weeks. If we need clarification or additional information, we will contact you at the email provided. Accepted contributions will be acknowledged in the relevant page's reference section and in our annual contributors list.
For journalists, documentary makers, broadcasters, and publishers working on stories related to Himalayan food heritage, chhurpi, or related topics.
We respond to all media inquiries within 48 hours. For urgent requests or tight deadlines, please indicate your deadline clearly and we will prioritise accordingly.
chhurpi.org is a peer-informed open knowledge resource. Below are recommended citation formats for major academic styles. Always include the specific page URL and access date.
Select a page to generate the citation automatically in your preferred style.
chhurpi.org synthesises published academic literature and original field documentation. When citing specific factual claims, researchers should ideally trace the claim back to its primary source (cited in our References sections) and cite that source directly.
chhurpi.org is most appropriately cited as a secondary source for synthesis, context, and documentation of traditional knowledge — not as a primary source for clinical or scientific claims.
Common questions about chhurpi.org, our content, how to contribute, and how to use this resource.
Chhurpi.org is an independent open knowledge resource dedicated to the documentation, research, and preservation of Himalayan chhurpi traditions. It is based in Siliguri, West Bengal — in the heart of the Himalayan foothills where chhurpi is part of everyday cultural life.
The site is designed for researchers, food historians, nutritional scientists, journalists, and anyone with a serious interest in understanding this remarkable traditional food. It is not a commercial website and does not sell chhurpi or any other product. All content is published under a Creative Commons licence and is freely available for scholarly and educational use.
The content on chhurpi.org is peer-informed rather than formally peer-reviewed in the journal-publication sense. This means that our factual content is drawn from and cross-referenced against published peer-reviewed literature (cited in each page's References section), ethnographic documentation, and original field research.
We maintain an editorial review process for all contributions, and factual errors are corrected when brought to our attention. However, chhurpi.org is a documentation and synthesis resource, not a primary research publication. Researchers should cite primary sources (accessible through our references lists) for academic work where the distinction matters.
Yes — all text content on chhurpi.org is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) licence unless specifically noted otherwise. This means you may freely share, quote, adapt, and build upon this content for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you:
1. Credit chhurpi.org with a citation and URL. 2. If you create derivative works, publish them under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
Photographs may be separately licensed — check individual image captions or contact us for specific image reproduction permissions. See the Cite This Resource tab above for recommended citation formats.
We genuinely welcome corrections — factual accuracy is central to our mission. Please use the General Enquiries form in the Contact section, select "Factual correction or update" as your subject, and include: the URL of the specific page, the section or sentence containing the error, the correct information with your source, and your credentials or basis for the correction.
If the correction is urgent (significantly misleading information), please include "URGENT CORRECTION" in your message and we will prioritise review within 24 hours. All accepted corrections are acknowledged in the page's revision history.
Absolutely — and we consider this the most important type of contribution we receive. The knowledge of producers and community members is the foundation of everything on this site. If you have knowledge of production methods, regional varieties, cultural practices, historical accounts, or any other aspect of chhurpi that is not yet documented here, please reach out through the Contribute Research form.
We can work with you in your preferred language (English, Nepali, Hindi) and at your preferred level of attribution — full named credit, anonymous, or as background source material. Your privacy and the dignity of your community are our highest priorities in this work.
Chhurpi.org does not sell chhurpi — we are a knowledge resource only. However, we have documented the primary markets and sources on our Where to Find Chhurpi page (Page 11 of the site). Key markets include Darjeeling's Chowk Bazaar, Gangtok's Lal Bazar, Kathmandu's Asan Tole, and Thimphu's Centenary Farmers Market.
Several Sikkim-based cooperatives also ship vacuum-packed hard chhurpi nationally within India. For international access, Himalayan food importers in the UK and US carry certified products — we list known sources on the marketplace page.
Despite being one of the world's most nutritionally exceptional traditional foods with over 4,000 years of documented use, chhurpi has virtually no comprehensive English-language documentation accessible to the general public or to researchers outside the Himalayan region. Academic literature exists in specialist food science and ethnography journals, but it is scattered, requires journal access, and is not synthesised for a general scholarly audience.
Meanwhile, chhurpi's global recognition is growing rapidly — primarily through the pet chew industry, which is built on traditional knowledge that its producers rarely benefit from. We believe that robust public documentation of chhurpi's history, cultural significance, and nutritional science is essential for both heritage preservation and for the conversations about intellectual property and producer rights that are urgently needed. Chhurpi.org aims to be the reference point that makes these conversations possible.
Chhurpi.org is an independent initiative. It is not formally affiliated with any university, government body, NGO, or commercial organisation. We maintain editorial independence and do not accept content sponsorship or paid placement of any kind.
We collaborate with and draw on the work of multiple institutions — including ICAR-NRC on Yak (Dirang), Sikkim University, Tribhuvan University (Nepal), and the Nepal Agriculture Research Council — but these relationships are scholarly rather than institutional. If you represent an institution and are interested in a formal collaborative relationship, please use the General Enquiries form.
Siliguri sits at the foot of the Himalayas — the gateway between the lowland plains and the highland communities that produce chhurpi. It is the natural home for a resource like this.
A small, dedicated team committed to making Himalayan food heritage knowledge accessible to the world.
We are always looking for researchers, writers, photographers, and field workers with deep knowledge of Himalayan food culture and traditions who want to contribute to this growing resource. If you would like to be involved in a more sustained way — as a contributor, adviser, or collaborator — please tell us about yourself through the General Enquiries form.
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