Cheeses of Kalimpong
A hill town above the Teesta where a Jesuit priest started a small dairy, and where the soft, tangy Kalimpong cheese is still made.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: October to December, after the rains, for clear views.
Kalimpong sits on a ridge above the Teesta valley, on the old trade road between Bengal and Tibet. Wool, yak tails and salt once came through its market. Its cheese came later, when a Jesuit parish priest, Father André Butty, started making a European-style cheese with milk from local farms. The town still makes it in small amounts, alongside the chhurpi of the hills.
The cheese
Kalimpong cheese is a cow's milk cheese made in small wheels. Young, it is white, slightly acidic and a little crumbly in the middle, with a thin yellowish rind, and it has been compared to a farmhouse Caerphilly. Left to age, it grows stronger and its rind darkens. Production is small and it travels mostly to Kolkata, where it has kept a loyal following.
Hills, dairies and markets
Small dairy farms in the hills around Kalimpong supply milk for both the European-style cheese and the local chhurpi, the soft and hard cheeses of the Nepali-speaking hills. The town's haat, its periodic market, brings in farmers with vegetables, chhurpi, dried fish and spices. Mission schools, nurseries and old bungalows give the town a quieter feel than nearby Darjeeling.
A trail idea for Kalimpong
- Haat bazaar The town market, where chhurpi and hill produce are sold.
- Dr Graham's Homes The hillside campus founded in 1900, a landmark of the town.
- Deolo Hill A viewpoint over the Teesta valley and, on clear days, the snows.
- Cheese shops in town Ask for Kalimpong cheese where it is sold by the piece.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kalimpong" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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