Cheese Making Process at Home and Industry, Types and Uses of Cheese and Business in Pakistan
Preparation of Cheese (پنیر ) and different types of Cheese. This article gives the details of cheese making at home. It also elaborates importance of cheese. Besides this it also highlights the different avenues of cheese business in Pakistan. Requirements for this cheese making process are not very complicated.
Pakistan Northern Cheese by Ms Sofyya Jahanzeb
پنیر بنانے کے مختلف طریقوں پرٹریننگ کا انعقاد
اونٹنی کے دودھ سے آئسکریم کی تیاری کے موضوع پر لسبیلہ یونیورسٹی میں ورکشاپ کا انعقاد
Sources of Cheese Making
Cheese is an important value-added dairy product made from milk and is widely consumed worldwide. Cheese is usually made from cow’s milk, but high-quality cheese can also be made from goat, sheep, and buffalo milk. There are more than a thousand varieties of cheese worldwide, with cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, blue cheese, and other varieties being the most popular. Each type of cheese is distinguished by its unique flavor, aroma, texture, and nutritional properties.
Dairy products are considered to be very important nutritionally, and fermented dairy products are considered the “crown jewel of the dairy industry.” Cheese is relatively low in lactose, making it suitable for people with lactose intolerance.
Nutritional Importance and Uses of Cheese
Cheese is an excellent source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and fat. It is also consumed fresh, while its taste and aroma improve further after aging or ripening. Cheese is used in pizza, lasagna, macaroni, burgers, sandwiches, cheesecakes and countless other dishes around the world.
Types of Cheese and Market Popularity
The popularity of any particular type of cheese in the market depends on its taste, aroma, texture and other sensory properties. Various chemical compounds play an important role in these unique properties of cheese, including fatty acids, ketones, free amino acids, alcohols, aldehydes, lactones, amines and sulfur compounds. These compounds determine the taste, aroma and quality of cheese.
The microbial community present in cheeses from different countries and regions is also the main reason for their unique flavors and aromas.
QASWA – Camel Milk Ice Cream in Pakistan
Traditional and Industrial Cheese Making Process
Cheese is produced on an industrial scale with the help of preservatives and modern technology, while cheese produced at home or on a small scale without preservatives is called Artisan Cheese. It can also be commonly called Desi or Traditional Cheese.
Traditional cheese can also be easily prepared at home, however, its quality depends on the quality of the milk used and the preparation method. The fresher and better quality milk is used, the better the cheese will be.
Basic Steps in Cheese Making Process
There are basically six steps in cheese making:
- Acidification (creating acidity)
Coagulation (forming curds by coagulating milk)
Curd and Whey Separation (separation of solid and liquid parts)
Salting (adding salt)
Molding (molding into molds)
Ripeening or Aging (the stage of ripening and developing flavor)
Although the methods of making different types of cheese may vary, these basic steps are considered essential for converting milk into cheese.
Vinegar, specific bacteria or cultures, or enzymes such as rennet are used to coagulate milk. The curds formed after coagulation (curd) are strained and the liquid part (whey) is separated. Later, salt is added and put into molds and in some types, allowed to ripen for several months to develop the desired flavor and aroma.
Easy Cheese Making Process at home
To make cheese at home, milk is boiled and vinegar is added to it. After a few minutes, the milk curdles and forms curds. These curds are filtered with the help of a cloth or sieve and excess water is removed and pressed to give the desired shape. In this way, fresh cheese is obtained, which can be used immediately.
Technology and Challenges in Cheese Making Process
Economics, modern machinery, engineering, consumer needs and regulatory standards are of fundamental importance in running the cheese industry. Continuous and large-scale production of high-quality cheese is a major challenge.
Due to the development of science and technology, the use of traditional methods may decrease, so more research is needed on the conservation and use of microbial resources present in traditional fermented products to better understand their effects on taste, nutrition and human health.
Prospects for the cheese industry in Pakistan
Pakistan is among the major milk producing countries in the world and milk is available here in abundance. Therefore, there is a huge potential for the development of the cheese industry in the country. Not only can an alternative to imported cheese be produced locally, but also valuable foreign exchange can be earned by exporting high-quality cheese.
By providing training to dairy farmers in cheese production, they can be enabled to earn more profits through value addition. If cheese making is encouraged at the national level, it can take the form of a new industry, which will create employment opportunities and boost the rural economy.
Large-scale cheese production requires investment, modern machinery, technology, quality raw materials and trained manpower. Along with this, it is also necessary to create awareness among the public about the use of cheese.
Future prospects
Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab, in collaboration with University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, is working for the promotion of dairy value addition and cheese making through various projects of Milk Value Chain.
Dairy and livestock sector poised to accelerate Pakistan’s economic growth. If modern technology, training and investment are promoted in this sector, cheese can become an important value-added dairy product of Pakistan in the future. Through patience, strong foundations and long-term planning in this sector, not only local needs can be met but also the dream of a prosperous Pakistan can be made a reality by increasing exports.
