Kathmandu, May 18 -- "Say Cheese."

Prime Minister Balendra Shah posted a photo on social media Saturday afternoon, showing himself with a plate of cheese cubes and a packet of yak cheese.

"DDC ko Cheese," read the next line.

Within 24 hours, the post went viral, drawing more than 463,000 likes, 46,000 comments and over 4,000 shares across X and Facebook. Reactions were mixed. Some hailed Shah's post as an initiative to promote a domestic brand, while others criticised the quality of DDC products.

But the DDC-the state-owned Dairy Development Corporation-smiled the broadest after Shah's "Say Cheese."

Officials at the DDC said demand for yak cheese jumped by more than 30 percent on Sunday as supermarkets and consumers rushed to buy the...