Last Updated: December 10, 2021
Best Cheese In India
When someone describes cheese in India your mind probably runs straight paneer cheese, famous Indian cheese that comes in the form of a curry dish. But, cheese in India has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade and there is no surprise why when you look into it.
Join me as we take a look at the best cheese in India and learn about the history of cheese production in India, how it came about, and evolved.
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A Little History Of Cheese In India
You might not have known it but India is the world’s largest milk producer putting out over 175 million tonnes of mil every year. And, where there is milk it stands to reason, that cheese shouldn’t be too far away but it was, bar the aforementioned paneer plus Kalari Cheese from Kashmir and Bandel cheese from West Bengal.
In the 1960s, India began making its first processed cheese but it didn’t raise many eyebrows and was used more as a sandwich filler that was then coated with flavors to disguise its existence. But, in the last few decades, cheese production has come a long way from blocks of sandwich cheddar and is now making artisanal hard and soft cheeses.
Nowadays you can find amazing cheese in India such as brie, burrata, fontina, robiola, gouda, and lots more. Large and small cheesemakers are being innovative using western techniques for cheese production but adapting them for the Indian climates and adding local flavors and spices to create new kinds of cheese. It’s a very exciting time for cheese in India.
Best Cheese In India
Amul Cheese, Gujarat
Amul is one of the largest cheese producers in India and it floods the market with standard cheeses such as cheddar and gouda at very competitive prices.
It’s not their mass-produced cheeses that we are going to focus on here though, it’s their line of vegetarian cheeses that have come a long way in recent years. They have added a lot of different European cheeses into the repertoire such as a soft mozzarella and a hard ripened gouda.
They have also gone a lot further than just adding European cheeses to their range, they are starting to add new flavors to their cheese that haven’t been seen before. Their range now includes special flavors like oregano, jeera, pickle, pepper, and even a tropical fruit flavor.
You can find Amul’s cheese ranges at all the major supermarkets in India.
Kalimpong Cheese, West Bengal
Kalimpong cheese originated in the hills of Kalimpong in the region of West Bengal. It’s a form of gouda cheese that is known to be quite acidic with a sharp taste that is also quite mellow.
The history of how Kalimpong cheese came about is a good one as it was started by a Parish Priest in Sikkim, Brother Abdirahman.
Kalimpong cheese production has now moved from West Bengal and has been added to the Amul cheese range. If you see Amul gouda balls in the supermarket, it’s actually Kalimpong cheese. It’s not quite an artisanal cheese and is best added to a sandwich or pasta.
La Ferme Cheese, Auroville
La Ferme’s line of cheeses is one of the oldest and best in India. La Ferme started out in 1988 as a source of industry and income for the people of Auroville in the region of Pondicherry. All the cheese from La Ferme is handmade by a team of pros that hail from Holland and Italy, and the entire process is sustainable and uses natural ingredients only – La Ferme focuses on sustainability more than most.
All La Ferme cheeses are preservative-free, vegetarian, and chemical-free. They have combined the Indian climate with western cheesemaking traditions to create some delicious handmade cheese and churn out some 100 kgs per day.
The milk used to make the cheese comes from local farms in Auroville and the surrounding villages which is pasteurized using Bio-gas. The water for cheese production is pumped using a windmill, the wastewater is recycled – you can find more natural and sustainable cheese in India.
La Ferme makes some amazing cheese including feta, gruyere, cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella, and some special ones too. Their seasoned gorgonzola is delicious, Jeera Lofabu (from Dutch Gouda) is delightful, goat cheese from the Auroville goat farm, an Auroblochon (young parmesan) which is quite poignant as it’s aged for 6 months and over.
Vallambrosa Cheese, Bengaluru
If I told you that you can find some of the best Italian cheese you’ll ever taste in the middle of south-central India, you might have laughed. But, it is actually the case and there is quite an amazing story behind it.
In Bengaluru, you’ll find a seminary run by the Vallombrosan Benedictine Congregation and its seven Benedectine monks from the congregation that are responsible for making the amazing cheese. Their founding monastery is in Italy and Father K L Michael leads the cheesemaking having studied it in Rome.
This team of Vallambrosa Benedictine Monks manages to produce around 100 kgs of cheese every day. They specialize in soft cheeses and they use fresh buffalo milk. Their mozzarella is fantastic, but their burrata is about as creamy and delicious as it gets. You’ll also find pecorino and mascarpone.
To buy some Vallambrosa cheese just head to their church-run cheese shop in the KR Puram neighborhood of Bengaluru and stock up.
Käse Cheese, Chennai
Käse Cheese is quite a new artisanal cheese. Something unusual for Indian brands. It was started by a group of women in 2016. Käse makes cheese using western methods which are then adjusted to match the local weather conditions in Chennai.
All Käse cheese is made from the milk of healthy and happy grass-fed cows and is 100% free from artificial flavors and preservatives. Käse cheese is absolutely delicious and has won the ‘Taste of the Market’ prize a few times at the Karen Anand’s farmers market in Chennai.
Käse specialize in soft cheeses such as ricotta, bocconcinim, scarmoza, mozzarella, plus a rnage of feta and even haloumi. While these cheeses are delicious it’s the Käse specialty artisanal cheese that needs trying. Their Ode To Chenna is a cheese that’s rubber with milagai podi masala, and their aged feta rubber with char-grilled leek flakes is also delicious
On top of their cheeses, Käse also makes Creme Fraiche, dips, bread, and even a fresh salad.
Cowvathi Cheese, Mumbai
Another of the Indian cheese brands is Cowvathi. Cowvathi cheese is vegan cheese and the only vegan cheese in the whole of India. It was started by a lady from Mumbai called Shasvathi Siva who wanted to offer cheese that was void of any cruelty, milk, and dairy.
Shasvathi Siva became a vegan after her parents guided her into it and thought it was high time India had some vegan cheese options and more happy cows in the country. She started out experimenting with how to make vegan cheese in her kitchen at home in Mumbai and now has some interesting flavors.
Cowvathi offers vegan mozzarella block cheese, cheddar block cheese, garlic & basil block cheese, and they have even branched out into chili, pepper, and pav bhaji flavors. You can even buy a pot of vegan mac & cheese mix.
Cowvathi cheese is made in Mumbai and you can order it via WhatsApp or email and it can be delivered to certain parts of India.
Flanders Dairy, Delhi
Flanders Dairy cheese brand was started in 1991 by Sunil Bhu who was one of the first to get started in India’s artisanal cheese market.
Sunil Bhu first joined Flanders in Belgium and undertook a cheesemakers apprenticeship and then flew to Itlay for further training. After he completed his training, he returned home to Delhi and set up Flanders Dairy.
Flanders’ cheese range includes creamy soft goat’s cheese, mascarpone, gouda, plus quark and sour cream. You can find this delightful range of cheeses at the Cheese Ball Store, Nature’s Basket, and Foodhall in Delhi.
Acres Wild Farmstay, Coonoor
Acres Wild Farmstay in Coonoor is a family-run sustainable organic farm in the hills of Tamil that makes delicious cheese too. You can even stay at this delightful farm and learn how to make cheese on a course while you’re there.
All the cheese that comes from Acres Wild is made from the mile of their hybrid Jersey and Holstein cows and is vegetarian, using microbial rennet only. They have an excellent range of hard and soft cheeses that you can order from their website.
You’ll find a soft herb & garlic roule, mozzarella (pizza cheese), ricotta, halloumi, aged blue cheese, and more. It’s easy to order online but I highly recommend going and staying at this wonderful farm and B&B.
Kodai Cheese, Kodaikanal
The Kodai cheese brand started out in the 1970s and has since has grown immensely both in size and popularity over the last 50 years. They have a huge range of cheeses available and sell both affordable options and more expensive artisanal cheeses too.
Kodai Cheese began in a small factory in Kodaikanal and was founded by Sri Shanker. After two generations this fully-independent, family-owned cheese business has moved from Kodaikanal and onto an organic farm close to the foothills of Bathlagundu, Tamil Nadu.
Kodai cheese range includes hard cheese like Parmesan, Emmental, Feta, Pepper Cheddar cheese, Pepper Gouda cheese, Chilly Cheddar cheese, Smoked Edam, Smoked Gouda, Tasty Cheddar, and something called Triple Layer. They also have cheese slices.
The smoked cheeses from Kodai are some of the best and they have also started making an excellent goat’s cheese too. You can find Kodai cheese in lots of shops in India and at Nature’s Basket.
Himalayan Cheese, Jammu & Kashmir
Himalayan Cheese is based in Kashmir and is run by a man called Chris Zandee who follows rules set out by Dutch cheesemakers and local traditions too. All the cheese Himalayan cheese makes are vegetarian and do not use any animal rennet whatsoever.
The milk used in Himalayan cheese comes from Gujjars who are semi-nomadic pastoralists that rear dairy cows and goats in the hills of the Himalayas. They make a great range of cheddars and goudas plus the traditional cheese from the region, Kalari.
Kalari is pretty much an Indian version of mozzarella and also goes by the name maish krej. It’s made from goat’s or cow’s milk and is both dense and stretchy, like a mozzarella meets halloumi. It’s usually served as a king of street food, salted, sauteed, and served with lime and chili.
Himalayan cheese is top quality and it’s absolutely delicious. You can order from them online or you can find their cheese at select stores throughout the major cities of India.
Chhurpi Cheese, Sikkim
Chhrupi cheese is a specialty cheese that is only made in the Himalayas. What makes it special is that it’s made only from yak’s milk. Chhrupi cheese comes in two forms, hard and soft.
The hard version of Chhrupi is the most popular and is a chewing cheese. It’s usually hung over a fireplace to give it a delicious smokey texture. Hard Chhrupi cheese is also exported to Nepal and is fed to teething puppies so they have something to chew on.
The soft version of Chhrupi is used as a stuffing, particularly for momos and you’ll find a lot of it in Sikkim at street vendors.
Bandel Cheese, West Bengal
Bandel is one of the original and best cheeses in India. It came to India unsurprisingly, via Europe when the Portuguese and Dutch colonized parts of West Bengal.
Bandel is made by separating the whey and cruds with lemon juice which is then either smoked in baskets and freshly sold immediately afterward, or not smoked. It’s a very aromatic cheese with an intense flavor and smell that is a bit like feta.
Chhrupi comes in two versions, creamy colored or smoky brown. Both are salty and crumbly and both are usually served as bar snacks as they go down well with a drink. You can also soak the Chhrupi in water and crumble it over dishes like salads or make grilled cheese with it.
Topli na Paneer Cheese, Mumbai
If you’re looking to get your hands on Topli na Paneer Cheese you’re going to have to special order it as it’s not sold anywhere publicly in India. Topli na Paneer Cheese is made on-demand and is a Parsi product. It’s often ordered by private chefs in Mumbai when catering for special events such as a Parsi navjote or wedding.
Topli na Paneer Cheese is a lot like mozzarella and is made from fresh full milk with special rennet pills that allow the cheese to create a texture that imprints on the topli (basket) it sits in. This creates an embossed surface on the cheese.
Topli na Paneer Cheese is usually eaten by itself as that’s the best way to savor the delicious taste and texture.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
