BENGALURU: Watching and hearing the charmingly debonair artisan cheese maker Mukund Naidu talk about the one topic that he is passionate about-cheese, is a delightful experience indeed. With over 25 years of experience, he has deep knowledge about the origins, manufacturing and production of different types of European handmade cheeses (artisan) which are organic and chemical-free without any preservatives and emulsifiers.
Mukund recently held a three-hour artisan cheese appreciation workshop sharing his knowledge and experiences with a keen lot of foodies, food bloggers, housewives and professionals. This was at the home of award winning food blogger, Caroline Radhakrishnan.
Recently, he was invited by the Jordanian government as a cheese consultant to train top chefs there on the fine art of cheese making.
“Did you know that salt is the only p r e s e r v a tive in artisan c h e e s e ? ”He asks. And milk is the only live food as it contains bacteria?
The man himself has a penchant for fresh cheeses like Buffalo Milk Mozzarella, Feta, Ricotta, Herbed ricotta, Mascarpone and Sharkasia (which he learnt during his stint in Jordan). A connoisseur of good food, ever since he bought an OTG, he stopped buying market bread. “I make my own whole wheat breads and cakes and sometimes make some multigrain versions in a natural way.” He adds, “My favourite cheese has to be the Emperor of cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano. Apart from that, I like a fresh buffalo mozzarella for my salads and pizzas. I also love the flavour of Pecorino Tartufo which is a sheep milk cheese with black truffles.”
Mukund Naidu shares some lesser known cheese tid bits:
■ Artisan cheese is the only natural way to increase the shelf life of milk. As Clifton Fadiman famously said, “Cheese is milk’s leap into immortality”.
■ Fresh milk can stay good only for 24 hours by which time the bacteria in the milk consume and grow in millions rendering it unusable.
■ When you convert the same milk into cheese the shelf life increases considerably. The volume and size and the nutrient value of the cheese gets condensed making its easier to transport, carry, serve and eat.
■ Cheese can be made with any milk available, from cow, buffalo, sheep, goat, camel, yak, donkey, horse, etc. Contrary to popular belief, mice prefer chocolate to cheese as it’s sweeter!
Mukund along with his associate Aasrein Maria, health and nutrition specialist trained in the UK, have put together the health benefits of artisan cheese.
■ Eating artisan cheese helps reduce cavities. Scientists after much research have found that eating cheese helps increase the saliva production that buffers the acid found in dental plaque and balances the ph balance in the oral region. Cheese increases the alkalinity and helps coat the teeth and helps in the prevention of cavities.
■ Lactose intolerance: The process of artisan cheese involves the addition of certain live robotic cultures that digest the lactose converting it into lactic acid, which is removed from the cheese during its manufacturing, brining and ageing process. Hence artisan cheese is perfectly good for consumption for those who are lactose intolerant.
■ Weight Loss: Helps in weight loss if consumed in ketogenic diet along with live foods such as nuts, fresh fruits and salads.
■ Cheese is packed to the brim with calcium. It’s also bursting with Vitamin D, which helps our bodies to absorb that calcium, along with folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, and Vitamins A, B2, B12, and K2. Fun fact: When consumed together with calcium, vitamins K2 and D3 are especially good at protecting your bones, brain and heart. Cheese contains all three. When you eat cheese, you’re also consuming conjugated linoleic acid, a proven anti-cancer agent and metabolism booster.
■ Cheese is a live food. Its health benefits are more than cooked or processed foods which lose their nutrient value during their manufacture process.
■ Cheese contains an amino acid called tyrosine that, when broken down in our bodies, makes us feel content. The fats in cheese also encourage our brains to produce dopamine, a natural feel-good chemical released in our brains’ “reward centres”.