In Nepal, particularly in Kathmandu, yak cheese and yak butter are produced in factories and sold commercially.

For trend watchers, here's a list of what was hot at Terra Madre this year: honey, yak cheese and seeds.

As for the yak cheese, look for it at a Slow Food event near you soon.

It also has a small Buddhist monastery, or gompa, and a Swiss-owned factory that produces yak cheese.

In the Himalayas, dried yak cheese (chhurpi) is said to alleviate some altitude woes.

Through the doorway I noticed a woman fetch something for Roger, who soon reappeared sporting a necklace of yak cheese he had bought for 30p.

Dried yak cheese hung from a line.

When it became clear that one cup wasn't enough, one child ran back for more and a string of yak cheese - which tastes and feels like a salt lick.

"Besides, we liked it a lot better than yak cheese," said Fritzi Smith, Mr. Smith's mother, who spent some time with the expedition.

Fresh brown bread with yak cheese, croissants and apple strudel sit comfortably alongside soups, pizzas, enchiladas and veg sizzlers.