STUDIES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SURATI CHEESE

                                                    BY

                                    ZAL R. KOTHAVALLA

                                                  AND

                                        H. C. VERMA

                           Imperial Dairy Institute, Bangalore

                    (Received for publication on 18 October 1941)

                                    (With Plates XIX-XX)

                                      INTRODUCTION

SURATI cheese or panir is the best known of the few indigenous varieties
of cheese. It is made principally from buffalo milk with the addition of
crude rennet and salt and is as a rule uncoloured. Panir essentially differs
from all other Indian (or even imported) cheeses in that it is kept steeped in
whey during its manufacture, storage, transport and distribution. This
cheese is in good demand in certain parts of India as providing a concentrated
nutritious food and also on account of its supposed therapeutic properties.
The history of the origin of Surati cheese is obscure. In the Gujarat
district of the Bombay Province it is commonly known as ' Surati panir '
and the name Suarti appears to have been derived from the town of Surat,
where it was probably first manufactured. There is, however, evidence
to show that it has been a commercial commodity for over half a century, as
can be seen from its increasing popularity in the markets of Bombay, Surat,
Poona, Dhond, Manmad and several other places. This cheese is transported
over long distances by rail and road steeped in whey in large earthen chetis
or matkis secured with coirs. It is difficult to estimate the quantity of fluid
milk used for Surati cheese making in India as no definite information on its
daily or annual output is available. But, in view of its existing popularity,
it may be safely assumed that a fairly large quantity of milk is used annually.
The manufacture of Surati cheese requires small equipment and little time
and labour. Even small quantities of surplus milk can be profitably used by
an average farmer or a dairyman instead of their being converted into other
more expensive and less remunerative dairy products. Surati cheese fetches
a profit of about eight annas per gallon of milk (price of milk taken at two annas
per lb. and the sale price of Surati cheese at eight annas per lb). The quality
is usually determined by flavour, a milder flavour fetching a premium.

The method of making Surati cheese varies with the manufacturer but it
is invariably empirical, thus leaving much scope for its improvement. To the
knowledge of the authors this subject has not been investigated systematically
in this country and it was, therefore, felt that some technical information on
the manufacturing conditions suitable for the production of a high grade Surati
cheese would be useful to the trade.

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