Rushan Cheese — One of Yunnan’s “Eighteen Wonders”: milk made into sheets and sold【Diān xī xiǎo gē】

Slow Living Pathways
43 Video Views·Mar 11, 2026

Dairy products from Dali are flavors that people in Yunnan grow up with from childhood—fresh milk, yogurt, Rushan Cheese, milk cake, and more. They are not only fresh and delicious, but also full of distinctive local character.
Rushan Cheese is made from fresh milk, and it takes about 10 jin of fresh milk to make 1 jin of Rushan Cheese. Because the milk cannot be left overnight, it is heated while still fresh, then mixed with sour whey. The acidity causes the proteins in the milk to coagulate, separating out the whey. The curds are then repeatedly kneaded, stretched, and pulled into thin fan-like sheets, and finally hung up to air-dry. In this way, liquid milk is transformed into Rushan Cheese, a thin, resilient, and storable dairy delicacy.
Rushan Cheese is milky white with a slight yellow tint, as thin as cicada wings, translucent, supple, and rich in milky aroma. It can be enjoyed in many different ways: grilled over charcoal, it turns crisp on the outside yet soft and chewy inside; deep-fried, it becomes golden and fragrant; made into desserts, it is soft, sweet, milky, and leaves a warm, lingering sweetness.