Cheeses of Bandel
A former Portuguese settlement on the Hooghly that gave its name to Bandel cheese, a small salted and often smoked cheese of Bengal.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: November to February, when the air is cool and dry.
Bandel lies on the west bank of the Hooghly river, about 50 kilometres north of Kolkata. The Portuguese settled here in the sixteenth century and built the church that still stands by the river. They also left a cheese: small, dry, salty discs pressed in little baskets, which became one of the very few aged cheeses with Indian roots.
The cheese
Bandel cheese is made from cow's milk, the curd pressed into small perforated baskets that leave a pattern on the surface. It is heavily salted so it keeps in the heat, and some versions are smoked, giving a brown, dry rind. Accounts say it was made by Mog cooks from Arakan under Portuguese direction. Only a few families still make it, and it is crumbled over salads, rice or toast rather than eaten in slices.
The place
The town grew around the Portuguese church, now the Basilica of the Holy Rosary, and the river trade of the Hooghly. Neighbouring Chinsurah was Dutch and Chandannagar was French, so the short stretch of river holds traces of several European trading companies. Today Bandel is a busy railway junction and a suburb of greater Kolkata, and most of its cheese is sold in the city.
A trail idea for Bandel
- Basilica of the Holy Rosary The Portuguese church by the river, the anchor of the old settlement.
- Hooghly riverbank Walk the ghats and watch the ferries that link the old trading towns.
- Hooghly Imambara A short ride away in Hooghly town, with its clock tower and courtyard.
- New Market, Kolkata Where the cheese is most often found for sale, in the old cheese and grocery stalls.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Bandel" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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