Karnataka - Bangalore

Smile and say cheese!

Delicious: A file picture of Michael K.L., administrator of Italian Mozarella (right), and Jinse, vice-rector of the Benedictine Monastery, displaying Mozzarella cheese balls.

Bangalore: Nestled quietly on the outskirts of Bangalore near Ramamurthinagar, lies a serene Benedictine monastery which makes the most divine fresh Italian cheese in town.

Italian Mozzarella, located on the Sacred Heart Road at T.C. Palya, is run by two young priests who produce cheese in a range of varieties including mozzarella, bocconcini, ricotta, mascarpone and caciotta.

Their small-scale unit churns cheese from buffalo milk in such high quality that it is snapped up by gourmets, bistros as well as swish hotels such as The Leela Palace, The Grand Ashok, Chancery, The Oberoi and The Park Hotel. And restaurants such as Herbs and Spice, Via Milano, Gian Carlo’s Ristorante and so on know no other brand but Vallombrosa, marketed by Italian Mozzarella.

Now, how did two monks come to make world class cheese that can hold its own against its European Union counterparts? Michael K. L., administrator of Italian Mozzarella, says he learned the nuts and bolts of the highly skilled culinary art during his eight years in Italy. “This project began as fun, but has now become a means for self-sustenance. More than 160 litres of pure buffalo milk are converted into 40 kg of different cheese every day. Apart from hotels and restaurants, we also get orders from Italian, German and American families and other individuals in the city,” he adds.

The cheese is hygienically stored, packed and delivered to customers .

Prices range from Rs. 450 to Rs. 600 a kg (excluding 12.5 per cent VAT) depending on the cheese.

Manjit Singh, Managing Director of Herbs and Spice, vouches for the quality: “Italian Mozzarella is unique as it is ‘handmade’ out of buffalo milk. The quality is consistent and is fresh every single day. I have been using all of the Vallombrosa varieties for salads, pizzas and desserts for the past three years, and I have never been let down.”

Mandaar Sukhtankar, executive chef at The Park Hotel, is no less enthusiastic saying that the quality, which was good to begin with, has only improved over the years. “It is very nice that such quality cheese is being produced and sold locally.”

Italian Mozzarella can be contacted on Gualbert Bhavan, Vallombrosan, Sacred Hearts Road, T.C. Palya, Bangalore 560036.

Fr. Michael K.L. can be contacted on 98454-49064 and Fr. Jinse on 99649-58572.

Mozzarella cheese is available as solid cubes and semi-solid paste and is the perfect ingredient for homemade pizzas. It tastes particularly nice with olive oil or pepper. Mascarpone is the soul in the Italian dessert tiramisu.

Bocconcini adds that Italian zing to salads, and gels well with lettuce. Ricotta can be eaten plain and tastes fabulous with a dash of honey or lemon juice. Caciotta is a hard form of cheese that serves as a perfect accompaniment with hard drinks.

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