Bandel cheese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bandel cheese |
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| Country of origin | India |
| Region | East India, West Bengal |
| Town | Bandel, Hooghly, Chinsurah, Chandannagar, Tarakeswar |
| Source of milk | Cows |
| Pasteurized | No |
| Texture | Crumbly Semi-Soft |
| Dimensions | Circular,Diameter=1 in,Height=1/4 in |
| Weight | Variable |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Bandel cheese is a special cheese from India. It first came from a place called Bandel in eastern India. This area used to be a colony of Portugal. The Portuguese people brought this cheese idea to India. It was made by people called the Mog (who were from Burma) under Portuguese guidance.
Today, only a few families still make Bandel cheese. One of these is Palash Ghosh's family. They work with a food company in Kolkata called The Whole Hog Deli to sell their cheese. The owner of this company, Saurav Gupta, is trying to get a special tag for Bandel cheese. This tag is called a GI Tag, which stands for Geographical Indication. It helps protect unique products from certain places. Saurav Gupta and a famous chef named Ranveer Brar are also working to keep this 500-year-old food tradition alive.
You can find Bandel cheese in some shops in New Market, Kolkata. But it can be hard to know if it's the real, original cheese.
Contents
How Bandel Cheese is Made
Bandel cheese is made in a simple way. First, the curds (the solid part of milk) are separated from the whey (the liquid part). This is done using lemon juice. After that, the curds are shaped and left to drain in small baskets. Then, they are often smoked to give them a special flavor.
What Makes Bandel Cheese Special?
Bandel cheese is known for being dry and crumbly. It also has a unique smoky taste. It smells very nice and is sold fresh in small, round shapes right after it's made. You can find it in two types:
- Plain: This is white and doesn't have a smoky flavor.
- Smoked: This is brown and has a strong smoky taste.
The cheese is quite salty, which helps it last longer. It's a soft cheese that isn't aged. It's traditionally made in pots with holes. Today, most Bandel cheese is made in towns like Tarakeswar and Bishnupur, Bankura, which are close to Kolkata, West Bengal.
Bandel cheese is similar to another Indian cheese called Surti paneer. Surti paneer is made from goat's milk and was also brought to India by the Portuguese in a place called Surat, Gujarat. But Bandel cheese is made from cow's milk.
Ways to Enjoy Bandel Cheese
Bandel cheese is often used in Anglo-Indian cuisine in Kolkata. However, it's not very common in regular Bengali homes. It's great as a salad dressing.
Different Uses for Plain and Smoked Cheese
- The plain (non-smoked) version can be eaten by itself.
- The smoked version has a stronger flavor. It's often used as a topping for dishes like pasta, risotto, and salads.
Many home cooks and food experts are now starting to use Bandel cheese in new ways. For example, it can be deep-fried and served with gooseberry chutney. Smoked Bandel cheese is also added as a topping to fig and almond tarts. Even chefs outside Kolkata are discovering and using this unique cheese in their recipes.
Studying Bandel Cheese
In 2017, a group of scientists at Jadavpur University started studying Bandel cheese. This project is funded by the government of West Bengal.
Goals of the Study
The main goals of this scientific study are:
- To find ways to make Bandel cheese more hygienically (cleanly) in a controlled environment.
- To see how much money the cheese could make, both in India and in other countries.
- To train the families who currently make the cheese. Right now, only one family in a village near Arambagh in Hooghly District makes it.
- To explore getting a Geographical indication tag for Bandel cheese. This tag would protect its name and origin.
- To develop new products from the cheese, like healthy probiotic drinks.
