Bengal govt to revive famed Bandel cheese introduced by Portuguese

Although the small, salty discs of cheese that come in plain and smoked varieties were famous all over Asia, now they are available only in a handful of shops at New Market in Central Kolkata.

Kolkata(West Bengal):The influence of Portuguese culture on West Bengal's Bandal has a history of 500 years. A key part of it is the once-famous Bandel cheese. Although the small, salty discs of cheese that come in plain and smoked varieties were famous all over Asia, now they are available only in a handful of shops at New Market in Central Kolkata. West Bengal Government has decided to revive the Portuguese cheese-making industry.

Named after Bandel former Portuguese colony in West Bengal, about 50 km north of Kolkata, the number of makers of Bandel cheese has dwindled down to a handful of families in Hooghly and Bankura districts. Sources at the State secretariat said that initiatives such as raising public awareness about the delicacy from Bengal's colonial past have already been initiated.

They further revealed that considering the pan-India demand for Bandel cheese, the State government is thinking of providing training to those who are interested to prepare it. The government is also trying to rope in some investors to revive the production of the once-famous delicacy. “The State government is taking steps to save endangered food industries in different parts of Bengal. There was a demand for Bandel cheese in the past. But now it is getting lost. We want to train the general public in making this cheese and increase their interest in producing it,” a top government official said.

A program has been organized on June 10 at Rabindra Bhavan in Hooghly in this regard.