Little did Chris Zandee know that when he'd ultimately find his true calling in life, making cheese in Kashmir, that his educational background in automotive engineering would be hardly relevant.
He laughs, "There are some things you do to make your parents proud and happy." Then there are some things you do to make yourself content and happy. For instance, following his deep rooted value system of being acutely aware of other people's sufferings.
"I grew up at a small farm in Holland. We were not very rich but fairly comfortable and our parents brought us up with this value for communities and the importance of being aware of the suffering of others." With that kind of surge for meaningful life, he set out exploring conflict-ridden regions, among other places across the world.
One fine day, in India
On one of these journeys, India, happened. First in 2003, when he was discovering what it was all about while being employed in a local company that was at the time also engaged in bringing relief to earthquake victims. But the decision to set up a cheese production unit was not driven with the intent of making big bucks out of the unique Kalari cheese of Kashmir.
The cheese that he saw the Gujjar community of the region make by whipping milk in a steel utensil with a wooden whisk. "I was well aware of the farm life, farming community and the perseverance and commitment that this life entails, but I knew nothing about making cheese."
Cheese has not been a cakewalk!
He not only had to learn to make cheese but also fairly acquaint himself with the local language and acclimatize to the political and cultural landscape of the place. "I went back to Netherlands to learn from my father how to make cheese, came back, learnt local language of the region; Gojri." Zandee can also manage in Urdu and Kashmiri as well now.
All of these things took time, patience, persistence and what not. "The registration of Himalayan Products happened in 2007 and it wasn't a smooth ride," he laughs, the details of which he'd rather not divulge. Not just the paper work, but each year has entailed different challenges to his business --- from the pandemic, to political unrest in the region, internet shutdowns, to earthquake and also floods. He shrugs off all of these unfavourable circumstances by quoting William Bradford, "All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages."
Currently, operating from his office situated in the village of Langanbal, and settled with a Malaysian Indian wife whom he married in 2005, Zandee now wants to branch out into other verticals. "There are still so many untapped resources in the region. For instance, blackberrys and persimmons growing in the region. We have branched out into honey and jams as well."
The unique Kalari cheese of Kashmir
Whipping cheese at a magnitude of 7000 feet was no mean feat. After learning the local cheese-making practices, the workers had to be taught some of the Dutch methods, reoriented to hygiene practices required in a commercial set-up. Then the cultural barriers.
"Collecting milk is a man's job but making cheese is a woman's job and women don't go out and work for other people." He adds, "Today we do five types of cheese, the prominent ones being mozarella, gouda, cheddar and the unique kalari cheese of Kashmir." Which he describes as the, "Indian mozzarella and so stretchy, chewy, thready and soft. It's like our heritage we are proud of." There is also a wide variety of flavoured cheese; from spice, walnut, mustard and cumin to chili.
Why I am in love with Kashmir
Before he can answer that, he wants to clarify outright. "It is not the for the beauty of it or other touristy clichés that we associate Kashmir with." He adds, "I asked myself why I wanted to start a business in Kashmir? It was like giving hope and creating a community together."
Today he runs a business that gives employment opportunities to semi nomadic pastoralists of the region called Gujjars. "It feels beautiful to be able to generate jobs, provide sustainability to people, they can plan. Two of my employee never went to school. Other cheese making units have offered twice the amount of money we pay them. But their loyalty is what we've earned."
Slowly the profits and bottom lines fell in place too, as today his company has a turnover of Rs 50 lakh and employs atleast eight people full time. "We procure milk from around 150 gujjar vendors whose cattle grazes on Himalayan grass and fodder."
Himalayan Products are available online and have a presence in over a dozen major cities of India. "Business has come to garner negative money-minded connotations. But to me business is a beautiful thing. It's about creating wealth for communities, giving them hope, sustenance and power."
