Turning milk into mozzarella

Updated On: 29 May, 2009 09:55 AM IST | | Omi Gurung

A small group of monks of the Benedictine order hold the secret to the most tasty buffalo milk cheese in town

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A small group of monks of the Benedictine order hold the secret to theu00a0 most tasty buffalo milk cheese in town

In Thambu Chetty Palya on Sacred Heart Road, near KR Puram, is a Benedictine monastery where Father K L Michael makes fabulous mozzarella cheese.

At work: Father Michael with Father Jinse at the cheese making unit

The cheese, made from buffalo milk, is so rich and high in quality that it is bought by almost all the five-star hotels in the city. Marketed under the brand Vallombrosa, the cheese has travelled to delicatessens across India andu00a0 abroad.

Father Michael, administrator and brain behind Vallombrosa, says he learnt the art and craft of cheese making from Italy.

Italian connection

"I was in Naples, Italy for eight years (1993-2001) doing my theological course. I was fascinated by the cheese making industry there," he says.

When he returned to Bangalore, he did some market research and found a great demand for fresh mozzarella. Nobody was making fresh cheese in the city, and most of the cheese available was made out of cows' milk, he discovered.u00a0 It was only during his second visit to Italy, that he learnt the nitty-gritty of cheese making. "In 2005, I revisited Italy for two months to learn the craft," he says.