In a clay bowl called a kataura sits a dense mass, almost like custard: on top, a thin layer of yellowish cream; beneath it, a snow-white, slightly grainy core. The spoon meets resistance, then sinks into the sweet mass with a faint earthy note. This is juju dhau — the "king's yogurt" from Bhaktapur.
Buffaloes grazing in the Kathmandu Valley give milk with a high fat content. It is boiled over firewood, reduced, and sugar and sometimes cardamom are added. The hot mixture is poured into unglazed red clay vessels made locally. The porous clay absorbs excess moisture, while rice husks and blankets hold in the warmth. After a few hours, you get a dense texture that can almost be cut with a knife — one impossible to reproduce in metal or glass containers.
Legend has it that in the fourteenth century, a contest of milkmen was held at the court of King Jayasthiti Malla. The yogurt from Bhaktapur was judged the best — and ever since it has been called juju dhau in the Newar language. Today the tradition is kept by families such as the Suwals: Raffil Suwal, the second generation, runs R.S Juju Dhau, where dozens of litres of milk are processed daily and the product is supplied across the country.
The yogurt is served at weddings, during the Bisket Jatra festival, and at the end of lavish Newar feasts together with chiura — beaten rice. It marks not only celebration but also an everyday connection to the land: clay, buffaloes and the hands of craftsmen create a flavour that cannot be separated from Bhaktapur.
Demand is growing: from a local delicacy, juju dhau is turning into a national product, carried even to remote districts. Producing families are expanding their volumes while keeping the handmade method and local clay vessels. New markets are appearing, yet it is in Bhaktapur that the yogurt remains freshest — bought directly from the makers in Durbar Square.
The best place to try juju dhau is in Bhaktapur at Durbar Square: fresh little pots are sold from the morning and eaten on the temple steps. It is here that the flavour most fully reveals the connection between the valley, its history and the people who continue the ancient method of fermentation.
