Since 2007, Chris Zandee has built up a strong community of ethical cheesemongers in Kashmir among the local herding and farming community in the valley.
◊ By Bhumika K
Visit ORGANIC SHOP by Pure & Eco India
Chris Zandee grew up in rural Netherlands. A farmer’s son, he nurtured a passion for farming and the food industry. His parents raised him with strong values that you have to give back to your community and be a responsible player in the community.
Chris was travelling in Eastern Europe and other less developed countries, when he received an invitation to visit Kashmir by a company that had a project running with the government. “I came to Kashmir a single guy and then met my Indian wife here. Once I settled down, one of the first things I asked myself was what could we do for the farmers here,” recalls Zandee.
Growing up in rural Netherlands, Zandee, a farmer’s son, always nurtured a passion for farming and the food industry.
Himalayan Products is the only cheese brand in India to have classified its cheese into naturally-aged categories by age – Young, Mild, Medium, Mature and Vintage.
Himalayan Products’ cheese cave in Pahalgam.
And so in Pahalgam, in Kashmir, way before the ‘Make In India’ movement took shape and caught momentum, a Dutchman gave birth to the company Himalayan Products in 2006, to produce natural artisan cheese made with fresh milk.
“We tried to find out the resources and challenges the local farmers had, and wanted to be a bridge between them and the market. India was importing so much cheese when farmers here were trying to get good prices for their milk. In 2006, a bottle of milk was cheaper than a bottle of water!” says the Dutchman.
The Zandees started manufacturing cheese in 2007, and were one of the first cheese brands in India to start adding spices to their cheese. They are also perhaps the only cheese brand in India that classifies their cheese into five naturally-aged categories by age – Young, Mild, Medium, Mature and Vintage (one year plus). They have a large cheese cave to age the cheese. Whole wheels of 3-4 kg can also be purchased by restaurants and families.
A large part of the effort was to create a fairtrade industry, raise milk prices so farmers and herders don’t go impoverished. “We wanted to empower the locals and the community (largely shepherds from the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities). Moreover, the farmers don’t have time to work on product development and marketing,” says Zandee.
Himalayan Products developed the Kalari, a local heritage cheese of Kashmir, which Chris says “in character is like Mozzarella – a lean cheese with a stretch, not high in fat content. It’s an Indian Mozzarella, which is often called the doodh chapati here.”
Himalayan Products sources milk from migrating farmers who practise transhumance (they move cattle from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle). During a season they have about 60 to 80 farmers that they source from; there are two different batches of them across summer and winter.
In the summer, the cattle feed on mountainside herbs and grass and produce high quality milk. In winters they eat rice straw and mustard cake. Milk is sourced from water buffaloes, Jersey cows and desi (indigenous) cows.
In the summer, the cattle feed on mountainside herbs and grass and produce high quality milk. In winters they eat rice straw and mustard cake. Milk is sourced from water buffaloes, some Jersey cows and some desi (indigenous) cows. They source about 150 to 200 litres of milk per day to produce about 15 to 20 kilos of cheese per day. They pay their farmers and herders every 10 days in keeping with their conscious ethical practices.
The company produces five varieties of cheese including Gouda (there’s even a walnut Gouda!), Cheddar, Gruyere, Mozzarella and Kalari. Prices for 200 grams vary from Rs 250 up to Rs 600.
The Covid pandemic did hit them hard and that was when, about 1.5 years ago, the company added to its product repertoire, mountain honey, as well as, jams made from fruits such as persimmons, quince apple, loquat, mulberry and blackberry, etc. For the jams, Zandee uses a recipe similar to his mother’s – using all natural ingredients, with minimal processing and no sulphur.
After the second Covid wave receded, hotels are back to being 40% of their clients; 35% of sales come from stores all over the country and about 20 to 25% from online sales and factory visits.
The company is now a “must visit” on tourist bucket lists, with cheese tastings and interactions with the local team in Pahalgam. Chris also points out that India’s old food habits still dominate consumption; cheese is seen as “heat food” and so, from April to June in India people don’t seem to like to eat it much. Traditionally the world over too cheese is made from the excess milk produced in summer but consumed in winter!
Despite the success, for Zandee, at the heart of the enterprise is the idea of fairness for the local community involved. “Ethical awareness and responsibility for food is only now coming into the picture here. We have to care for the wellbeing of our farmers. I hope more buyers and retailers will ask farmers the question ‘Are you ok? Can you live by your produce?’ Otherwise, it is too selfish and ugly a transaction,” he concludes.
What a Precious Thought of just being Fair! It is the right thing to do. It is from the Heart.
Wow inspiring story and we r looking for jobs in western countries.we r not giving value to our local brands and do not have guts to shape and brand it .Thanks Mr dutch man we r proud of u
You are doing a great work where it really matters. Thanks Chris
Love top hear more news about Organic Products
Wow i am a Dutch person living in Nepal. Miss Dutch cheese. Is there any possibilities to get it here as well?
Kindly contact Himalayan Cheese directly:
Himalayan Products
Mobile & WhatsApp: +91 94 190 454 20
Office: +91 194 246 1593
Email: [email protected]
Love to connect with Zandee. I am Tutu Saad from Bangladesh the one and only European style artisanal cheese maker. I make sell through FB and teach indigenous cheese makers using rennet in Bangladesh to improve their quality. This cheese ( Auostogram Paneer) was introduced by the Portuguese 400 years back in Bengal and now Gujarat regions as Surti Cheese. Please check out my FB Cheese Page.
Tutu’s Artisan Cheese
Mob:+8801711544576
http://www.Facebook.Com/cheesytutu
Mr Zandee can be reached via:
Himalayan Products
Mobile & WhatsApp: +91 94 190 454 20
Office: +91 194 246 1593
Email: info [at] himalayancheese.com
Danke jewel
Congrats a great initiative
Chef Israel Bhooshi
Formerly Kodaikanal TN
Kodai dairy products have great varieties of cheese
Now Bootend North Wales UK
This is great, I have been search for good Dutch cheese in India for a long time.
I do not see too many old & matured cheeses in shops here.
What an inspiring story Chris!
I am from Kashmir and intend to visit Pahalgam in May 2024. Hope to meet you in person.