Chef Ranveer Brar starts online petition to get GI tag for Bandel Cheese

Team L&M

Chef Ranveer Brar has taken up cudgels for Bandel Cheese. “It is time this cheese gets its due with the granting of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag,” says Brar, who has started an online petition on change.org to get public support on the issue. So far, 4,748 people have already signed the petition. “Getting it a GI tag will keep alive in our conversations and on our plates,” says Brar in the petition.

What’s Bandel Cheese?

It is a fresh cheese made of cow’s milk. It was introduced by Portuguese in India. The process involves curdling of cow’s milk with lemon juice, after which the cheese is preserved in saltwater to lengthen its shelf life. This technique is 500-year-old. It was originally produced in Bandel, hence the name.

There are two varieties of Bandel Cheese – Smoked and Plain, each having its own distinct flavour. “Bandel Cheese is a work of art and works great in traditional and innovated dishes alike. For many, Bandel Cheese is nothing short of an emotion, a sense of pride,” says Brar, mentioning about Bandel Cheese maker Palash Ghosh from Chak Chand village of West Bengal.

Once there were many makers of this kind of cheese, but now only a handful remain, like Ghosh, who is desperately trying to continue and sustain this artisanal cheese that his family’s been producing for generations now.

Earlier this month, Brar also posted a recipe on his YouTube channel wherein he shared Ghosh’s story and also featured this cheese.

“My idea is to get as many people as possible to get to support Bandel Cheese makers and help get this cheese the recognition it deserves,” he says, adding if we don’t act now we stand to lose this age-old cheese making craft will be lost forever in the pages of a few recipe books.

“I also call upon e-commerce websites like Amazon, Blinkit, Big Basket and the leading online grocery stores to do their bit to help revive the Bandel cheese. This small effort will not just make a big difference to a hardworking family but will also help sustain a precious ingredient for generations to come,” remarks Brar.