A photo of the Bandel cheese
Credit: X/@indo_christian
While the most popular cheese of India is often made into tikkas and other sabzis, there's one variety that although not so famous so far, might just get its pride of place back on the cuisine list.
While Goa may be on everyone's mind when we say Portuguese and their contributions in India, a small (not so much now) town in West Bengal was where the pre-British settlers brought their first culinary inputs.
'Bandel cheese' was originally introduced by the Portuguese and made by the 'Mog', an indigenous group of Arakan people, who had shifted to Tripura from Mynamar (then Burma).
The cheese is now vying for a GI tag, all thanks to the efforts West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences professor Pinaki Ghosh.
But this is not a new campaign. Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar had earlier, almost 2-3 years back had championed for the cause and started a petition to get signatures for the step.
A shop in Kolkata, called 'The Whole Hog Deli', which is now one of those very rare places left that sell this cheese has also shared the news about the renewed efforts by professor Ghosh.
The shop's social media handle also shared the application filed for the GI tag.
Geographical Indication (GI) tag relates to recognition of products with unique quality and characteristic from a certain geographical location. This also helps the desired product to help with boosting economy and give a pride of belonging from the place.
While the Darjeeling tea was the first ever product from India as well as West Bengal to get GI tag, the most prized GI tag Bengal has its very own 'roshogolla', a status both the sweet and the state got in 2017.