About us
WHO WE ARE
We are a 6 years old artisan cheese making company from Kolkata, West Bengal that is run and managed by an all women team. We are one of the few natural cheesemakers in India and we are known for our high quality of exquisite gourmet cheeses. Our journey started in 2018 and it has been beautiful and fulfilling so far.
The term ‘Meraki’ is a Greek word derived from the Turkish ‘Merak’ meaning ‘labour of love’. The essence of the term is to do something with one’s creativity, putting one’s soul into it, so much so that a part of the creator is left behind in the creation.
WHAT WE DO
We make natural handcrafted cheese from farm fresh milk. All our cheeses (and other products) are chemical and preservative free. We do not use any emulsifiers or artificial enhancers. Natural cheese making depends on the microbial activity that takes place in naturally grazed cattle milk. This kind of cheese making is essentially the process of letting the naturally occurring bacteria, fungi and yeasts develop in their micro habitat. All the goodness of milk remains intact in such cheese and can be consumed as one of the richest sources of protein and vitamin in one’s diet.
Artisan cheese is handmade cheese made with no or minimum machine intervention. We currently make more than 25 varieties of fresh and aged cheese and are constantly experimenting with new variants of cheeses.
HOW WE DO IT!
The basis of making cheese lies in the breaking down of lactose into lactic acid. We start the process of cheese making by inoculating the milk with lactic acid bacteria indigenous to the particular milk being used, thereby preserving the micro flora present in that particular milk and not using any artificial culture. Milk is coagulated with microbial rennet and curds cut into desired size. The later stages of draining, cooking, pressing the curds vary from one cheese to another. Salting and brining too plays a very important role in cheese making.
While fresh cheeses are ready to be consumed in a day, after being made, aged varieties undergo the fascinating process of ‘Affinage’ that can range anywhere between 3 weeks to several months, even years.
WHY WE DO
We believe in clean and healthy eating and are inspired by the Slow Food Movement that is taking place across the globe. The shift away from fast food to heathier alternatives is gradually happening both on the plates and in the minds of consumers. As proponents of raw milk cheese we source our milk from a rural cooperative, who in turn procure their milk from marginalised women cattle owners. Their free grazing cows are exclusively fed on grass without any chemical or hormonal intervention.
HOW IT STARTED
Back in 2018, our founder Arpita Nag tumbled upon YouTube videos on artisan cheese making and was mesmerized by the slow and calming process. What started out as a passion gradually became a full-fledged business. She trained in the process of natural cheese making and took a leap of faith in order to venture into the world of artisan cheese making business.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Arpita has a background in advertising and did not belong to the F&B industry unless she fell in love with artisan cheese making! She is a trained cheese maker with a certification from Academy of Cheese. She is passionate about creating awareness about the benefits of consuming natural cheese. She conducts workshops on cheese making, pairing and tasting and loves to talk about anything cheese. She is a collaborator cum consultant with some prominent cafes/ restaurants in the city that work with artisan cheese.
