La Ferme Cheese is a small scale enterprise, a country farm started in 1988, to experiment and develop a line of dairy products in Auroville, Pondicherry. Modern as well as traditional techniques and methods have been brought in and adapted to the peculiar conditions of this South Indian environment and culture, with an interest to satisfy both Western and Indian tastes.

Today it employs eighteen workers and processes an average of 600 to 800 litres of milk, producing roughly 100 kg a day of quite a variety of fresh and seasoned cheeses as well as yoghurt, ice cream, packed milk etc. The milk comes from La Ferme's own dairy and from farmers in the surrounding villages.

The bulk of the production is sold in Auroville itself at the "Pour Tous" shop but there are also some sales outlets in Pondicherry and Chennai. They will also send anywhere in India by courier service.

Their cheese contains only all natural whole cow milk, salt, vegetarian enzymes and fermenting cultures. This is genuine traditional cheese, a refined gourmet product, not processed and mixed with preservatives, artificial flavours, colours or emulsifiers as in the mass produced varieties. Furthermore their pasteurisation and cooking process are done with alternative Bio-gas energy as an answer to their ecological concerns for the environment.

Interview with Benny - Cheese maker

I came to India because of the Auroville project and took up my former activity, but paradoxically it was here in Auroville that I learned to make other European cheese types. In Europe this way of working together does not quite exist, especially not in cheese making, Europeans are more individualistic. This is a great advantage we have here to make good farm cheese with traditional hand made techniques that invariably yields high quality cheeses with rich tastes and unique flavors. In the west over-strict hygiene rules and broad industrialisation have normalised the subtle differences of great tasting traditional cheeses and it becomes increasingly difficult and costly to find good varieties.

The strive for perfection is a strong ideal in Auroville, applicable to everything in life. But to apply it to Farm cheese making is more difficult here as we are coping with ever-fluctuating Natural elements.

As for my former specialisation - goat cheese production, there could be a tremendous possibility for development in India, but it would need an equally tremendous input of energy to improve conditions. For instance: the increase of the milk production per goat would demand the introduction of other breeds. But there too, one day Auroville might be a pioneer to develop this activity.

FRESH CHEESE (all 280 Rs/Kg)

Fresh cheese is made only upon order and needs 24 to 48 hours of processing. They have a short shelf life of one to two weeks and can stand a maximum of 36 hours transportation period in the cooler season. Shipment of this cheese in the hot season is not advisable although it has been done successfully in the past but at the risk of the customer.

Mozzarella - Italian variety-very mild tasting, fresh white cheese especially for melting on pizzas and other cheese covered dishes.

Feta - Greek variety of white fresh salty/sour cheese, specially for mixing in raw salad or cooked in salty pastry and vegetable dishes.

Philadelphia herbs and spice - Spread cheese with garlic and herbs.

Ricotta - Fresh full cream cheese, excellent sweetened, ideal for baking recipes, spread preparations and as thickener in sauces.

SEASONED CHEESE (CHEDDAR STYLE) :
Seasoned for a period of a few weeks to a few months in a cool protected storage room, this variety is delicious eaten as an after meal cheese platter in the French fashion, for snacks, in sandwiches, melted on pizzas, bread, chappatis, vegetable casseroles and any oven baked dishes. Do not bake this cheese on top of preparations for more than a few minutes, just enough to give them their appetising melted consistence and wonderful smells.

If presented as a "Cheese platter" they should stand for some time at room temperature before served and eaten. Only in this condition, not chilled, will they give their full and characteristic flavours. Slight variations in the taste and texture of La Ferme cheeses are to be expected since they use hand made - country farm – manufacturing methods and not mechanised technology.

They tend to suffer less from transportation and can be shipped all the year through. Although each of these have their specific taste and characteristics that is unlike any other cheese in the world, some comparisions are mentioned:

Lofabu is a 2 to 3 months old cheese with a mild nutty flavor that pleases most palates, children or connoisseurs, Indians or Westerners all love this cheese that can be used for a wide range of purposes like melting on pizzas or oven baked dishes, cocktails, snacks, salads, salty pastry, sandwiches, cheese platter, melting on dishes, etc... (Could be compared to soft/creamy Dutch cheese like Edam or Raclette cheese.)
Price : Rs 390 / kg

Cheddar is a 3 months old cheese with a firm texture and a more pronounced taste ideal for cheese platter, salads, cocktail, snacks.
Price : Rs 440 / kg

Jeera Cheese is a lofabu seasoned with cumin seeds and is a delicious appetizer. Best for cocktails, cheese platter, melting on dishes..
Price : Rs 390 / kg

Swissly is a 2 months old cheese with the characteristic strong flavor of raw milk cheeses and is suitable for about the same purposes as the Lofabu. (Could be compared to Tilsit or a sharp Pyrennee.)
Price : Rs 390 / kg

Auroblochon is a 12 months old plasticoated cheese with a very strong and piquant taste that will be enjoyed only by people who like this kind of cheese. The plasticoat film has to be peeled off before eating. Best for cheese platter, melting on dishes. ( Could be compared to a soft/creamy young Parmesan/Grana type. Can't be grated only chopped or sliced !)
Price : Rs 440 / kg

The prices above are subjected to 10% tax and packing/forwarding charges will be extra. The cheese is sent through Professional courier or any other courier service if specified and payment by advance cheque.

ABOUT MOULDS AND FUNGUS

They are highly desirable as they give cheeses their distinct flavours. they are natural ferments in all cheeses whether you see them or not and are known to be helpful in digestion. If moulds develops on cheese in your fridge it doesn't spoil and you can simply scrape it away if you don't like it, as it is all a matter of taste and appetizing look.

BON APPETIT !

LA FERME CHEESE
605101 AUROVILLE
Ph : 0413 622212
Fax : 0413 622274
E-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you wish to visit them, kindly call first.
Guided visits are possible in the afternoons only

A Slow Wok To China

A cuisine that has spread like a virus all over India (and the world), Chinese food finds it's way on the most traditonal Indian restaurants. Fastidious Mughlai menus now include a Chinese section with improvisations such as Paneer and Chicken Chilli. Kolkata's once-bustling Chinatown- Tangra was the first stopover for migrating Hakka Chinese who manned the Tanneries of the bustling leather trade. Their young generation, reluctant to be in the leather or restaurant business have now migrated to developed countries. The restaurateurs have smartly adapted their cuisine and made it more delectable to the Indian palate. It is now possible to get your Indo-Chinese fare in USA and UK !
 

 How do you generalise into one culinary definition, the cuisine of an area so large it spans the entirety of Western Europe? It’s a tedious task, which gastronomes can spend hours in the kitchen over. Chinese food is as diverse as the people it represents, with cooking having occupied a lofty position in its culture throughout history.
With several Chinese emigrants to India hailing from the Canton region, it is often assumed that Cantonese cuisine is Chinese food epitomised - a gross misconception to say the least, if at all, Chinese fare in India has now been Szechaunized. As any Chinese food aficionado will explain, there’s a lot more to this delicious fare than spring rolls, sweet corn soup and fried rice. China has several types of cuisine, based loosely on geographical area. Join Gourmet India on the culinary tour...
 
Cantonese Cuisine
“ In Canton the Chinese fondness for snacks and small eats reaches a kind of apotheosis”

Canton is an area of lush tropical climate resulting in a wide range of ingredients being available to Cantonese cooks who are known to be fastidious about freshness and preserving natural flavour. Stir-frying, steaming and roasting are common cooking methods, allowing foods to retain natural taste. One of Canton’s greatest contributions to Chinese cookbooks is however dim sum. Literally translated to mean ‘touch your heart’, these tasty little morsels are a relatively new addition to the well-seasoned culinary scene and are fervently consumed as families and friends gather for the ritual of yum cha or drinking tea. Traditionally served by girls singing songs of praise for the delicacies they carried, it is now served on trolleys piled high with dim sum and a sign indicating what’s on offer. Since the 10th century, the Cantonese have acquired a dim sum repertoire of around 2000 snacks that can be divided into four groups – steamed, variety foods such as parchment chicken, fried items and desserts, served at lunchtime – often as early as 10am and continuing till late afternoon. These tiny bites that delight the palette and capture the imagination are a quintessential part of Cantonese cuisine complimented perfectly with copious amounts of well- brewed tea.
• Canton Bites – Dim sum, shark’s fin soup, fried rice, stir fried garoupa, roast pork
 
 
 Szechuan - Some Like It Hot
The flavours of the land locked mountainous Szechuan region in western China are well known in kitchens around the world. The liberally used Szechuan pepper gives this delectable cuisine its characteristic spicy undertones and a mass Indian following. Our link goes further back though and the chilli pepper was thought to have been introduced by Indian missionaries travelling along the Silk Route. Today it’s an indispensable part of this cooking. Also known as pepper flower, fagara or peppercorn, the spice that makes this food what it is, is not pepper at all. Instead the reddish brown fruit – one of the ingredients in five-spice powder is a berry that comes from the prickly ash tree. Not all Szechuan cooking will burn your taste buds either. Garlic, ginger and fermented soybean is also used, making Szechuan food all that it is.
• Szechuan Bites – Kung Pao chicken, mapo dofu, smoked duck
 

 Shangdong Spread
A typical Shangdong spread is defined by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Comprising of Jinan and Jiaodong cuisine, shallots and garlic are used liberally in seasonings while soups such as Birds Nest – made from swallows nests cemented by the birds own saliva is a popular delicacy, loved by many but a rather bland overpriced fare to others. Deep-frying, grilling and stir frying is common in Jinan cooking while delicately prepared seafood is a Jiaodong speciality.
• Shangdong Bites – Birds Nest soup, yellow river carp in sweet and sour sauce
 

 Peking Fare
“Anything that walks, swims, crawls or flies with its back to the heavens is edible”
Take your pet to the Chinese capital and as the rumour goes it will probably end up as the entrée on the next table. Yes, they do eat dog here but then again in some parts of France horse-meat is de rigeur. There is plenty more to sample however and the cold harsh climate means that solid nourishing fare like steamed dumplings, lamb, salted pickled cabbage, pancakes and soothing hot pots are popular. Hot pot diners simply select morsels of prepared raw food from pates around the table, place them in the pot, wait for them to cook, fish them out of the soup, dip them in the sauce and eat them hot, fresh and tender. Wheat rather than rice is the staple grain and noodles made from wheat flour often constitute for a main meal, while the use of vinegar and garlic is common.
• Peking Bites – Mongolian hot pot, lamb with scallion, chicken with walnuts
 

 Huaiyang Food
This cuisine is renowned for its seafood and soup, which according to a saying is so clear that you can see the bottom of the bowl. Sweet, freshwater and saltwater fish, shellfish and crab are popular ingredients prepared by simmering, boiling or baking in earthenware pots over a low flame. The delicious Beggars Chicken baked in lotus leaves in a clay pot is also cooked in this way and according to legend got its name when a thief wrapped a stolen bird in clay, baking it in a hole in the ground. Peanut oil and lard are the main cooking mediums.
• Huaiyang Bites – stewed crab with clear soup, Liangxi crisp eel, Beggars chicken
 
Shanghai Noon
“The flavours are only five in number, but their flavours are so various that one cannot taste them all”
Shanghai is the gastronomic capital of China; its cuisine distinguished by the use of heavy and highly flavoured sauces. Cooked in deep fat and soy sauce, the food is highly palatable and retains its flavours. The red cooking process whereby meat is slowly simmered in dark soy sauce resulting in a reddish tinge in the final dish is a common cooking technique as is braising, stir frying, deep frying and pan frying. Vegetarian cuisine is also developed and chefs are known for the skills in taking vegetables, diced mushrooms, fungus and bean shoots and turning them into culinary masterpieces.
• Shanghai Bites – red cooked chicken, stir-fried mushroom and bamboo shoot

Best of the Rest – Hunan, Fujian and Anhui
Defined by its thick pungent flavour and liberal use of chilli pepper and shallots, the appetizing Hunan cuisine is prepared by simmering, stewing and steaming, with most dishes having a hint of sour and spice flavour. In the Fujian province seafood appears over and again, often prepared in a sweet and sour form or with a pickled taste to it from marinating in wine. Chefs from Anhui focus their attentions on temperature in cooking and are good at braising and stewing. Ham is often added to improve taste and sugar candy to better freshness. Dishes are often stewed in brown sauce with a stress on heavy oil and sauce.
• Stewed Snapper and braised Pigeon.

According to a Chinese proverb food is the first necessity of the people. The Chinese savour their food and eating is an art in the Red Kingdom. Their chefs are experts at extracting the essence of flavour and a great emphasis is placed on freshness of the ingredients no matter where you are. India has not been immune to the invasion of Chinese restaurants. There are however only a few that specialise in regional fare. The next time you find yourself eating Chinese, notice that the menu includes a variety of dishes from all over the country. This way instead of liquidating your life savings and annual leave in an effort to cover the vast expanse of land that is China to satiate your love for Chinese food, you can simply nip into your favourite Chinese restaurant and come out equally satisfied.