From the decadence of Paris, to the cold cellars of Switzerland, cheeses from across the globe and India will be delivered on a platter at the annual Cheese Palooza this weekend
Mansi Jasani with Swiss cheesemaker Walter Rass (right) with a wheel of the latter’s Chällerhocker cheese
There was a moment when Mansi Jasani walked into the Murray’s Cheese Store in New York back in 2011, when the realisation struck her. “I had walked into Disneyland. That was the moment I knew,” shares the cheesemonger. With a moniker like ‘Cheesewali’, her love for the ingredient is hardly in doubt. Jasani has just returned from the recently concluded World Cheese Awards held by the Guild of Fine Food in Bern, Switzerland. “I just dropped by in Paris to pick up some more French cheese,” she adds. These delectable additions will make it to a platter of cheeses and stories at the annual Cheese Palooza being held at a venue in Fort this weekend.
Caves of Le Gruyère cheese in Switzerland
The annual cheese festival began as a simple soirée for friends and family after Jasani’s first stint at the World Cheese Awards in 2021. “The idea was to share my learnings, stories, and the cheese I encountered on the trip with friends and family,” she shares. Over the years, the judge makes a point to pick up some award-winning creations during her annual visit to bring back to her fellow gourmands.
This year, the edition will witness a collection of Swiss cheeses from the hosts of the Award ceremony. “We will be making a ton of fondue,” chuckles the cheesemonger, adding, “I have brought back some Gruyère, Appenzeller, and Tete de Moine. Among the French cheeses, we have Époisses — a really stinky cheese, but one of my favourites.”
Mansi Jasani (extreme right) guides guests through a tasting session during the soiree in 2024. Pics Courtesy/Mansi Jasani
The collective is more than just a celebration of cheese. “It is a session of stories, moments, and experiences told through cheese,” she explains. Such as the recent instance of meeting a traditional Swiss cheesemonger who moved from making Appenzeller cheese to a new form, Chällerhocker. “The name literally means sitting in a cellar. But it is a beautiful expression of milk,” Jasani describes.
But if you thought this was just another chance to binge on cheese, the cheesemonger corrects us. “That [bingeing] is for later. But there is a correct order for tasting, we move from the milder flavours to the stronger ones,” she points out. These subtle nuances of identifying artisanal cheese, talking of their ‘families’ and discovering Indian cheesemakers will be part of the experience.
Le Gruyere cheese. Pic Courtesy/Le Gruyere AOC
India is beginning to slowly master the balance between complex science and culinary art. There is Lavender Fields from Chennai’s Käse with its hint of lavender, and Brunost from Mumbai’s Eleftheria that finished fourth in the 2023 World Cheese Awards. “Käse also makes a cheese coated with spent grain, and another variant with milagai podi. Amiksa from Himachal with their Aged Blue and The Farm from Semmancheri, Chennai with their wonderful Tomme de Semmancheri are examples true to the land,” she describes. Time to plate up, we’d say.
ON December 6; 5 pm to 8 pm
AT The Ministry of New, third floor, Kitab Mahal, Fort.
LOG ON TO urbanaut.app
ENTRY Rs 3650 (inclusive of the cheese tasting spread)
The perfect pair
>> GOAT CHEESE (Chevre)
Pair With: Pomegranate molasses or honey and crushed pistachios; sourdough or seeded crackers; Sauvignon Blanc or gin & tonic
>> BRIE
Pair With: Honeycomb or fig jam; baguette or brioche; Champagne, Prosecco, or fruity cider
>> CHEDDAR
Pair With: Caramelised onions or apple chutney; water crackers or crusty bread; IPA, stout, or Shiraz
>> GRUYERE
Pair With: Whole-grain mustard or cornichons; pretzels or buttered toast; Riesling or Chasselas
>> BLUE CHEESE
Pair With: Honey, palm nectar, or dates; walnut bread or rye crackers; Port wine, mead, or dessert wine
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
