Cheeses of Kodaikanal
A hill station in the Palani hills where locally made Gouda-style cheese sits beside home-made chocolate in the shops.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: April to June and September to October.
Kodaikanal is a hill station at about 2,100 metres in the Palani hills of Tamil Nadu, built around a star-shaped lake. It was founded in the nineteenth century by American missionaries and British officials escaping the heat. Visitors have long come home with home-made chocolate and cheese, made on dairy farms in the surrounding hills and sold in the town's shops.
Cheese in the Palani hills
Kodaikanal's cheese is made in the European style, mostly Gouda-type wheels and some cheddar-type cheese, from the milk of hill farms. The cool nights and mild days help the cheese set and ripen. It is sold in small pieces in bakeries and provision shops around the lake and the bazaar, and is a common gift for visitors to take back to the plains.
The town
The lake, the Coaker's Walk along the edge of a steep slope, and the forest of the Palani hills draw visitors from all over south India. The kurinji shrub, which flowers on the slopes once every twelve years, is the symbol of the hills. Pear, plum and vegetable farms terrace the slopes below the town.
A trail idea for Kodaikanal
- Kodaikanal Lake Walk or cycle the path around the lake.
- Coaker's Walk A hillside path with views down to the plains.
- The bazaar Look for locally made cheese and chocolate in the town shops.
- Pillar Rocks Granite pillars rising out of the shola forest.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kodaikanal" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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