The word Artisanal emerged in England around the mid-twentieth century. A suffixed version of the word “artisan”, its roots can be traced back to the Latin word “artītus”, meaning “skilled”. It denotes methods related to craftsmanship that lie in tradition. In simpler terms, ‘artisanal’ products are products that are created by skilled craftsmen, often by hand or the usage of minimal tools, with the help of traditional knowledge and practices.
So, if you care about your palette, where it comes from, and who makes it, artisanal cheeses are for you. It’s a world of unique flavours and textures, shaped by years of experience and expertise from those who practice the art of cheese making.
These are nuances your average mass producer simply cannot replicate. Processed food with its added preservatives, sugar, and trans-fat not only compromises the quality of your palette, but also its authentic taste.
What is Artisanal Cheese?
Artisanal cheese is handcrafted in small batches using high-quality natural ingredients and traditional methods. This is made with minimal or no machine interaction. Makers ensure no preservatives or emulsifiers are used. This means each small batch is unique in flavour and texture. It is produced with core ingredients such as milk, salt, and rennet. The ingredients are kept simple, the process is kept preservative-free, and the production depends on trained cheese professionals and their craftsmanship.
A Beginner’s Guide to Natural Cheese
If you have been searching for artisan cheese online, you are in the right place. This article is a beginner’s guide to understanding natural, handcrafted cheeses.
Artisanal vs Mass-Produced Cheese: A Choice You Make
In the era of mass production, we are forgetting the touch and taste of real foods. Mass-produced cheeses that you get in huge varieties rely on additives and preservatives. Industries do this to maintain the same flavour and long shelf life. However, there is much more to cheese than this.
Artisanal cheese is made from farm-fresh milk. This natural cheese-making is based on microbial activity that occurs in the milk of grazed cattle. This is what marks the difference. With all the goodness of the cheese intact, you can incorporate it into your diet as a rich source of protein and vitamins.
When you consume artisanal cheese, you are supporting human beings. Their craft, cattle, and effort are put towards creating slower, purer food. Your choice has a positive overall impact on local economies and the environment. Often marked as handmade or farmstead, this is cheese at its finest.
A Brief History: Where did it begin?
Back-To-The-Land
Traditional cheese making has been a part of dairy and culinary history for centuries. However, after World War II, Western countries began residing in an environment of rampant industrialisation and growing convenience. Processed cheese-making gained mass popularity, and the art of handcrafted cheese began losing out to haste. However, the back-to-the-land movement in the 1960s and 70s inspired consumption of locally made food and small-batch production. There was again a preference for purity in one’s diet. Animal care, sustainability, and product quality resurfaced in Europe. Ethical dairy practice was an important pillar of this sustainable lifestyle, and small-batch farm-style cheeses gradually started coming back to tables.
The Slow Food Movement
More recently, in the 1980s, Italy witnessed the rise of the slow food movement – an attempt towards mindful living that engages fair food production and edible biodiversity. When you enjoy slow foods like artisanal cheese, you attempt to heal the severed umbilical cord between the farmers and the consumers. A cord that Carlo Petrini, the movement’s founder, claims has been cut. Artisanal cheese is a slow food at its core, relying on fermentation as the basis of its making process.
India and Its Cheeses: A Rich Future in Artisanal Cheese-Making
The principle for cultivating taste has inspired millions from all across the globe. India, with its rich culinary heritage, has also been inspired by this. A dairy-centric country, here the goodness of milk is transformed into various items like ghee or paneer. Yet, what about artisanal cheeses?
India’s Cheeses
India has traditionally not been a cheese-eating nation, barring a few exceptions here and there. Coagulated cheeses like Kalari have been part of Jammu’s tradition. Known as the mozzarella of Jammu, it is a pungent cheese made usually from buffalo milk. The Bandel cheese in West Bengal is inspired by the Portuguese settlement and is known for its smoky, salty flavour. Kalimpong cheese, too, has its share of followers.
The Current Scenario in India’s Artisanal Cheese-Making
The past decade or so has seen an artisan cheese revolution of sorts, with a band of very talented Indian cheese makers proving their mettle. With growing awareness of eating healthy, chemical-free food, the market of artisan cheese in India is growing at a healthy rate, too. As more people turn towards mindful eating, more and more new cheese makers are being encouraged to showcase their talent and products. And thanks to the Indian affinity for spices and flavours, various new and unique cheese creations are seeing the light of day in our country.
Conclusion
Artisanal cheeses are your go-to if you are looking to add high-quality protein, amino acids, and unique flavours to your diet. Slow and made by hand, these products of love are created for the discerning customer in you. The cheesemaker’s passion is reflected in every bite you take. Products of love are created especially for you by Meraki, with their handcrafted, exquisite, artisanal cheeses online. The prospect of artisanal cheese-making in India is growing and breaking the barriers sculpted by the processed-food industry every day. Each sale is another move closer to restoring precious food traditions and cultivating taste.
Share this taste with your closest ones. Gift the purest artisanal cheeses, crafted with love and care. Gourmet cheese gifts online by Meraki. Your way of caring, through something made with care.