How many of these Indian cheese varieties have you tasted?
Studies have proven that cheese can be as addictive as crack. Yes. that's right. There are 'cheeseheads' cannot go through the week without several helpings. Most will pick up their loot from deli counters that sell firang cheese, or stock up their cheese larder on trips abroad. But very few know that you get some topnotch handmade artisanal cheese in India. The land where cheese always meant paneer, has over the years developed a homegrown range that's to die for.
Here are a few Indian cheese varieties that you should pick up when travelling around the country.
Bandel Cheese
A recent campaign by chef Ranveer Brar and others asking for a GI tag for Bandel cheese has pushed these small crumbly discs into the spotlight. The cheese owes its name to the town of Bandel in West Bengal, which was once under Portugese territory. Available as small dumpling-sized balls in Kolkata, Bandel has a dry texture and smoky flavour. Soaked overnight to soften before use, it is added to salads, sprinkled on crackers, or sometimes, like feta, indulged covertly on its own. Several restaurants in Kolkata have added the cheese to their menu.
Kalimpong Cheese
This mellow but sharp gouda is made in the hills of Kalimpong in West Bengal. It was started by a parish priest in Sikkim. Now, we hear that Amul has taken over (if you've seen the Amul gouda balls in your supermarkets, that is Kalimpong cheese). You can still find huge cheese wheels of 12 kg and 1 kg (sourced from smaller Kalimpong dairies) at the legendary J Johnson's store in Kolkata's New Market.
Chhurpi
Chhurpi is a traditional mountain cheese made from yak (and cow) milk. It can be found across parts of the Himalayan region. We picked up several varieties of it (fresh and dried) from the organic market in Gangtok, Sikkim.
Kalari
Kalari or maish krej is a local cheese often alluded to as the mozzarella of Kashmir. Milk by the nomadic Gujjar tribe of the J&K, the kalari is essentially dense round discs of cheese (even called milk chapatti), and is often consumed by deep-frying and seasoning with salt and chilly powder. This all-vegetarian cheese is being made in Kashmir with fair trade values by Chris Zandee according to Dutch and local traditions through his artisanal cheese brand Himalayan Cheese. You can order it on their website from whichever corner of India you sit. You can order their cheese online, but they need a minimum value order. Some stores in a few metro cities also stock their range.
Vallambrosa
This cheese is made by monks of the Vallombrosan Benedictine Congregation in Bengaluru. Head to the city's leafy KR Puram neighbourhood and you will find their church-run store selling handmade Italian cheeses such as mozzarella, burrata, mascarpone and pecorino. The name refers to the order’s founding monastery in Italy. The cheese unit was started by Father KL Michael, a priest who picked up cheesemaking skills during his studies in Italy.