3 days ago
Bandel Cheese Struggles to Survive as Traditional Makers Seek Support
Bandel cheese is a special smoky cheese made in Bengal.
Only a few traditional makers still know how to produce it.
Palash Ghosh says the work takes many hours but does not provide a dependable income.
Traders sell the cheese, while makers say they receive too little money.
Higher milk and sugar prices have made the work even harder.
Scientists are studying how to make more cheese without changing its taste.
A Geographical Indication tag could help identify and protect the cheese.
The tag application has not yet been approved.
Ghosh wants support so the craft can continue after his generation.
Palash Ghosh, one of Bengal’s last traditional Bandel cheese makers, says the craft provides uncertain income.
Making the cheese takes about three hours, followed by four to five hours of smoking over fire.
Rising milk and sugar prices, along with stagnant trader payments, have worsened the makers’ financial pressures.
Research at FTSI TCG CREST is examining larger-scale production without compromising the cheese’s character.
A Geographical Indication application remains unresolved, while Ghosh is seeking help with production, packaging and market access.
- Who
- Palash Ghosh and other traditional makers, with support from Sourav Gupta and food-science researchers, are involved.
- What
- Bandel cheese makers are struggling financially, while efforts seek to preserve, standardise and expand production.
- Where
- The cheese is made in Chak Chand village in Bankura and sold mainly in Kolkata.
- When
- The issue is current; Samik Bhattacharya raised it in Parliament in 2025, and the Geographical Indication application was submitted last year.
- Why
- Traditional production is labour-intensive and underpaid, while rising input costs, limited infrastructure and unresolved regulatory issues restrict the craft’s future.
Key facts
- Product
- Bandel cheese, a sharp, smoky cheese associated with Bengal.
- Traditional maker
- Palash Ghosh says his family has made the cheese for generations.
- Production time
- About three hours of cheesemaking plus four to five hours of smoking over fire.
- Distribution
- Ghosh travels to Kolkata with about 10,000 pieces at a time.
- Sales locations
- A handful of shops in Kolkata’s New Market and home delivery through The Whole Hog Deli.
- Research initiative
- FTSI TCG CREST is studying scalable production and export standardisation.
- GI application
- The National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, applied for a Geographical Indication tag, but it has not been granted.
Quotes
Palash Ghosh
One of Bengal’s remaining traditional Bandel cheese makers
“I can make 400, 500 or even 1,000 pieces, but I don’t have a proper salary. The traders sell it and make the money, while I continue working through fire and smoke. My family has made this for generations, but I don't know who will continue it after me.”
telegraphindia.com
“I can’t do it all alone. Celebrity chefs have come to see how to make the cheese; there have been several documentaries and articles on it. But nothing really changes for me because I do not have the proper resources and infrastructure to scale it up.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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