Today is World Cheese Day. Cheese making is an ancient, some might even say sacred, craft. Archeological digs have found evidence of cheese around the world including strainers coated in milk-fat molecules in Kuyavia, Poland dated around 5500 BCE, murals in Egypt dated at 2000 BCE, and an artifact of preserved cheese in Xinjiang, China believed to be more than 3,000 years old!
Did you know that the popular mozzarella used in your pizza toppings was first created near Naples from the rich milk of water buffaloes? At the time, it rarely left its home near Naples, as it was made from pasteurised milk, and a lack of refrigeration meant it had a very short shelf life. As both cheese technology and refrigeration systems advanced, this delicious cheese left the southern region of Italy and found itself traveling around the world.
A Dutch heritage in Kashmir
India’s Himalayan Products is a unique enterprise making natural artisan cheese in the Valley of Kashmir, India. The company is operated by a Dutchman using his Dutch heritage and traditions to make cheese in an environmentally friendly and locally acceptable way.
The milk used in the cheesemaking comes from the Himalayan Mountains where the cows and buffaloes graze in a natural and clean environment. The cows feed on grass, herbs, and plants that grow wild in the Himalayas.
Himalayan Products encourages and promotes social and economical development in the local community. It upholds fair trade values, working directly with local farmers without middlemen so that they get the best price for their fresh milk, and the company gets the best full cream milk from them.
Each of the company’s products begin with natural/organic milk that is collected from the farmers and pasteurised before its use. The brand uses a mix of cow and buffalo milk for its cheese, which varies according to seasonal supply. The cheese is vegetarian and does not use animal rennet as it is prohibited within India.
Himalayan’s cheese is made with the following values:
- Eco friendly
- Fair trade
- Organic Milk
- Economic Development
- Social Development
Himalayan’s Gouda and Cheddar artisan cheese is made in larger size cheese wheels that are then freshly cut into cheese wedges of approximately 200 grams each. All the cheese is priced per kilogram. The cheese wedges are vacuum packed to ensure freshness.
Gouda cheese
Gouda cheese is a traditional semi-hard cheese that has been made in Holland for more than 400 years. Himalayan’s Gouda artisan cheese is made from full cream milk using the traditional recipe. Gouda cheese is labeled and sold according to the age of the cheese from young until vintage.
Young Gouda will be softer and more mild in taste. As Gouda ages it will get slightly harder and stronger in flavour.
- Young: 3-8 weeks
- Mild: 3-4 months
- Medium: 5-6 months
- Mature: 7-9 months
- Old: 10-12 months
- Vintage: > 12 months
Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar cheese, one of the most popular cheeses in the world, is a hard cheese with a sharper taste as it matures. Himalayan’s natural white cheddar makes a great addition to many dishes or by itself with crackers or fruit.
Himalayan Products also now offers the unique flavour of Chilli Cheddar for those looking to spice things up! Himalayan’s artisan cheddar cheese is sold according to the same age scale as Gouda, from young to vintage.
Kalari Cheese
Kalari is the Gujjar name for the local cheese in the Valley. This cheese is also called “milk chapatti” or “maish krej” in Kashmiri. Some have even described kalari as the “mozzarella of Kashmir.” A local custom for cooking Kalari is to fry it in oil, and then flavour it with salt and/or chilli powder. You can also enjoy dipping it in a cilantro or garlic/chilli chutney sauce.
Watch this video on how to cook Kalari cheese:
The company takes special care with its Kalari to preserve the unique taste and culture of the people of the Himalayas. The Kalari is kept frozen in packets of 500 grams to maintain freshness.
How to store the cheese
Gouda and Cheddar Cheese: When taking the cheese out of the plastic packaging, handle the cheese primarily on the outside edges to help prevent mould growth. To store the remaining cheese back in the fridge, place the cheese in a plastic container with a very small gap (non air tight) back in the fridge. In case of any local mould growth through exposure, simply remove the mould with a knife. Also be sure to keep the cheese dry in the container.
Kalari: After opening the package use a sharp knife to separate the required number of frozen kalari pieces. There is thin butter paper between each piece to help easily separate the pieces. The remaining pieces can be placed back in a sealed bag/container in the freezer. Defrosted kalari can be kept in a fridge for 3-5 days in a container.
The cheeses are sold online on the company’s website as well as in retail stores all over India.
Source: Himalayan Products
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