Chennai Now Has Its Own Exotic Cheese Producers

Creamy or earthy, smoky light or gooey bundles of goodness; just take your pick and relish the goodness that an exquisite cheese variety can bring to your meal. Artisanal cheese market has been rapidly growing all across the country. Till about two decades ago, food fanatics laughed at the idea of cheese produced in the country. The situation has undergone a sea change now. There are numerous homegrown gourmet brands that are coming up with international quality of cheese. It comes as no surprise then that Chennai also has quite a few options when it comes to artisanal cheeses. You will be spoilt for choice.

Käse

Käse is German for ‘cheese’ and is an initiative started by Anuradha Krishnamoorthy and Namrata Sundaresan, who have known each other for more than a decade, come from different backgrounds and have a common passion for healthy and wholesome eating. The store, located in Abhiramapuram, makes fresh cheese (cheese in its youngest, purest form). Fluffy ricotta, cream cheese, soft mozzarella, crumbly feta…they have about 20 varieties of cheese.

Fresh cheese usually tastes mild, sometimes salty or tangy, high on probiotics and highly nutritious. The cheese production follows western traditional methods that were adapted to the Chennai weather conditions. They do not use preservatives, artificial flavours, colours or emulsifiers commonly used in industrially produced cheeses to retain moisture and fat. Thus, the cheese retains authentic texture and taste of traditional farm cheese and guarantees the natural balance of vitamins, proteins and fat which gives cheese its unique characteristics. Apart from fresh cheese, the store also sells desserts made with cheese and cheese platters to enjoy with family and friends.Check out their website here.

Mango Hill

Mango Hill is a splendid South Indian hotel with an aura of combined elegance and gracefulness situated in the outskirts of Puducherry near Auroville, on the coasts of Bay of Bengal. The hotel was started by a Frenchman (Oliver Laederich) who migrated to the place decades ago and fell in love with the culture-a mix of Tamil and French. It is now run by his grand nephew Max Laederich.  Determined to make Mango Hill more than just a resort, he and his family decided to dabble in cheese. Cheese, bread and wine are a large part of French culture, and not widely produced in India. They then opted to make their own products, and Mango Hill Cheese was born.

Every morning and evening, fresh milk is delivered to their dairy by local farmers, and tested for quality. Every cheese produced at the property is unique and they only use what nature graciously provides. From the rich, pungent flavoured Blue Cheese, garlic and herb flavoured Borsalino, woody and naturally hard Cheddar to solid but crumbly Feta with milky fresh acidity, smooth and elastic Mozarella and ; they have enough and more varieties. Mango Hill cheese varieties are available at numerous gourmet stores in Chennai. Check out their site

The Farm

As the name suggests, the place was literally started as a dairy farm with cows and buffaloes in Semancheri Village in 1974. The place, located on OMR, now has a restaurant, hosts organized farm visits and also a store that sells freshly produced cheese. The place takes immense pride in organic methods of farming and farmstead dairy produce which is manufactured in small batches, by hand, at the source of the milk. They have a line of nine cheeses. Their counter is filled with portioned Feta cheese in brine, Labneh, farmstead buffalo Mozzarella and more.Apart from OMR, The Farm also organizes weekly pop up shops in Rutland Gate and Anna Nagar. Check out their website.