“How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese?” goes a famous quip by late French General Charles de Gaulle. The joke probably still rings true and France has an amazing variety of cheese. Most likely the way to a French man's (or woman's) heart is through cheese and increasingly, this is becoming true for palettes in India as well.
'Say Cheese'
Which is why you must ‘Say Cheese' when Mohammed Ali introduces participants to the what's what of French cheese.
Ali represents La Fromagerie Fresh Foods Private Ltd., Bangalore, which imports over 60 varieties of gourmet and artisanal cheese from France and distributes it across India to hotels, restaurants and gourmet stores.
“My interest in cheese started after joining La Fromagerie [which in French means cheese shop] and having worked with its proprietor Daniel Dubosclard for two months,” says Ali.
Daniel Dubosclard has a rich, 20-year-old relationship with cheese in France. Perhaps this is why Ali refers to him as “our cheese master.” Dubosclard came to India and observed that India lacked good cheese. He thus started La Fromagerie three years ago. Ali's interest in cheese slowly turned to systematic training under Dubosclard.
“Different cheeses have to be cut in a different manner using various knives so as to minimise wastage, to pack them properly and prevent them from spoiling. Daniel has trained me in understanding various cheeses, their uniqueness and how to cut each cheese, pack them and store them,” says Ali.
In the workshop, Ali will talk about a selection of five French cheeses and how they could be incorporated in the daily diet. Since cheese is a vital part of French life, participants would also discover its origin and history.
“Each cheese has a history. By learning the cheeses' history, I am also learning about French culture. It is very important for me to know the origin of each cheese,” adds Ali.
Out of the mind-boggling variety of French cheeses – from the elite yet stinky Roquefort to a good old Camembert – Ali's favourites are Brie and Rondin. Brie is a soft cheese made from cow's milk and is a very basic French cheese. It has a soft texture, is mild in taste and has a nutty flavour. Rondin is a goat milk cheese and comes as a natural product as well as infused with garlic and herbs.
“The market for gourmet cheese in India is growing at a rapid rate,” says Ali, referring to the number of clients and orders they get from across the country.
Ali says they are keeping up with this trend by organising such workshops in different cities, in partnership with Alliance Francaise.
“In Bangalore itself, we regularly conduct Cheese Club events to promote different cheeses and cheese-based dishes. Each event is based on certain theme, for example cheese from different regions of France, to give an opportunity to taste eight to nine varieties of cheese from one region of France,” he adds.
It is the first time Ali is doing such a workshop in Kerala to promote the awareness of French cheese, its importance in the diet and how we can consume it.
