Introduction
India is the largest producer and consumer of milk. The cooperative movement has remarkably increased the number of milk dairies in India and the availability of healthy milk at nearby outlets. Milk is the major ingredient for most sweets produced and consumed in India. The production and processing of milk through the cooperative system helps many families to earn their livelihood by selling their milk directly to milk dairies.
Popular milk products you can find in Indian homes are butter (both salted and unsalted), ghee (clarified butter), curd (like yogurt), paneer (like cottage cheese), and milk-based sweets.
The consumption of cheese is slowly picking up in India. The main reason for the cheese not gaining popularity among the Indian population was the use of rennet sourced from animals in cheese production.
However, the introduction of vegetarian rennet and microbial rennet during the 1970s changed the scenario of cheese consumption in India. Cheese manufacturers in India use only vegetarian rennet and microbial rennet (vegetarian) for cheese production.
Cheese consumption in India
Processed cheese was traditionally made from the rennet sourced from calf and this made most Indians, opposed to cheese. Hindus, Jains, and many other religions in India worship cows and consider them sacred and they are against cheese processed using animal-based rennet.
However, the introduction of vegetarian coagulation enzyme (vegetarian rennet) and microbial rennet (vegetarian) during the 1970s have changed the scenario of cheese production and consumption in India.
Cheese consumption in India is on the rise among the urban middle class. The fact that Indian cheese manufacturers use vegetarian coagulation enzymes (vegetarian rennet) or microbial rennet (vegetarian) only to produce cheese has been a booster for improving the consumption of processed cheese in India.
The advent of popular Pizza brands and outlets in urban cities and towns and the opening of local fast-food outlets has increased the popularity of cheese since all their products invariably use one or the other type of cheese in their cuisine.
Read the article on rennet for more information.
Types of cheese available and consumed in India
Cheddar cheese
Like in other parts of the world, cheddar cheese is a popular cheese in India and it is known as Indian cheddar. Cheddar cheese is used in sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas. Many fast-food outlets in Indian cities and towns use cheddar cheese in their cuisine.
Read the article ‘How Cheddar Cheese is Made’.
Mozzarella cheese
Mozzarella cheese is one more cheese that has gained popularity in India and it is used in branded as well as homemade pizzas.
Paneer
Paneer can be compared with fresh cottage cheese. Paneer is produced by adding vinegar, citric acid, or lemon juice to the boiling milk to curdle it. Paneer is used in many Indian curries and other recipes.
Cheese spreads and cheese slices
Cheese spreads and cheese slices are popularly used as ingredients for making sandwiches, and burgers, and they can go well even with parathas. Cheese spreads and cheese slices are made from processed cheddar cheese.
Gouda cheese
Gouda cheese is a mildly ripened Dutch cheese that originated from the Netherlands. The Gouda yellow cheese is made from cow milk and has a distinct mild flavor and sweet taste. Amul makes Gouda cheese in India.
Brie cheese
Brie cheese originated from France; it is produced from cow milk and made in the form of a pie. Brie cheese can be added to sandwiches and pastas or simply consumed with fruits and nuts.
Imported Brie cheese is available in major Indian cities and towns. Brands of Brie cheese like Castello Danish Brie cheese, Paysan Breton Le Brie (available in Mumbai only), Select Brie (German), and others are available on online platforms like Big Basket, Blink It, Amazon, etc.
Brie cheese is appreciably costlier than Indian brands since they are imported and sold. Do not forget to watch for the ‘Vegetarian symbol’ on Brie cheese.
Feta cheese
Feta is a Greek cheese and is produced from sheep or goat milk. Freta cheese has a creamy texture and it can be used for salads and sandwiches or eaten raw with nuts.
Brands like Roussas Barrel Aged Feta cheese (Product of Greece), D’lecta Natural Feta (manufactured by Dlecta Foods Pvt Limited, Raigad, Maharashtra), Goat Milk Feta (Manufactured and marketed by Courtyard Farms, New Delhi), and other brands are available on online platforms. Feta cheese is costlier than other cheeses. Do not forget to watch for the ‘Vegetarian symbol’ on imported Brie cheese.
Brands of cheeses popular in India
Amul
Amul is the most popular brand of dairy products, including cheese, in India and it is present all over the country. Popular Amul cheese includes Amul dice Mozzarella cheese, Amul cream cheese, and Amul processed cheddar cheese in the form of cheese blocks, cheese slices, cheese tins, cheese chiplets, and Amul Gouda cheese. Amul uses vegetarian coagulant enzymes (vegetarian rennet) and microbial rennet (vegetarian) in processing their products. View the Amul Website for more information.
Go Cheese
Go Cheese is the brand name of Parag Milk Foods, situated in Pune, Maharashtra. The term ‘Go’ indicates cow and all the products are made from cow milk. Go Cheese is popular in Maharashtra and some other places, but does not have a pan-India presence like Amul. The Go Cheese products include Go Cheese slices, Go processed cheese made from blends of cheddar cheese of different ages, Go pizza cheese made by blending Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese, Go Mozzarella cheese, Go cheese spread in different flavors, Go cheese angles, and Go cheese wedges. View the Parag Milk Foods website for more information.
Mother Dairy
Mother Dairy is a fully owned subsidiary of NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) and its products including Cheese are popular in Delhi and NCR areas. It has its presence in the Northern part of India and other parts of India. Mother Dairy uses cow milk for its cheese products. The cheese products of Mother Dairy include cheese slices, cheese cubes, cheese spread, cheese blocks, Piri Piri flavored cheese spread, and garlic and herbs cheese spread. View the Mother Dairy website for more information.
Other brands
Multinational cheese brands like Britania and President are also available in major Indian cities and towns. However, they cannot offer much competition to the Indian brands. Apart from this most states of India have their own milk federations formed under cooperative patterns of working. Some examples are:
https://www.kmfnandini.coop/ in Karnataka and they market their products, including cheese, under the brand ‘Nandini’.
https://aavin.tn.gov.in/web/guest/home in Tamil Nadu and they market their products, including cheese, under the brand ‘Aavin.’
Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation in Bihar. The Federation uses the brand name ‘Sudha’ to market their products.
General information on consumption of dairy products in India
Dairy products are consumed all over India, but the consumption of butter (both salted and plain), Ghee, paneer, and of late cheese, is higher in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and some states in the northern part of India. Lassi (made from creamy curd) is a popular drink on hot days. These products are consumed in southern states of India also, but ghee or clarified butter is more popular in southern states compared to butter and paneer. Consumption of cheese is picking up in urban cities and small towns.
Milk products are rich in protein and this is good for vegetarians who form a substantial percentage of the Indian population. Consumption of cheese is increasing in the urban middle class and the reason is improved economic conditions and the availability of branded fast-food chains and local outlets that serve pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and other fast-food items at their outlet and do home delivery. Cheese is one of the major ingredients in many of these fast foods.
You may watch this and this YouTube video educating on the consumption of cheese.
Conclusion
Hope this article was able to update your information on the consumption of dairy products in general and the consumption of cheese in particular.