Artisan cheese processing

Mazaraat Artisan Cheese is a producer of organic cheese with facilities in Yogyakarta, a city in Java, Indonesia. The company which is managed by Muhammad Najmi and Nieta Priscilla, Mazaraat provides natural, organic, premium cheese where the materials and production process can be traced back. 

 

According to Muhammad Najmi, they entered the natural cheese market for want of both healthy and tasty food for the family, and especially with a child who has a heart disease. They were dissatisfied with seeing mostly processed cheese sold in the market and that natural cheese was imported and therefore expensive.  

 

Currently, Mazaraat produces three categories of cheese, namely fresh cheese, aged cheese, and milk and cream. “We are especially proud of our natural ghee. Even in India many producers do not produce ghee naturally,” says Muhammad Najmi.

 

Muhammad Najmi, owner of Java-based cheese company, Mazaraat

 

He adds, “Haloumi is Mazaarat’s trademark. Our other top-sellers are Camembert, Cheddar and Blue Cheese. Our products are sold in hotels and restaurants where foreigners are largely the customers. However Indonesian people also love mozzarella, cheddar and ghee.”

 

When asked what it takes to make good cheese in Indonesia, Muhammad Najmi says that cheesemakers anywhere in the world are the best in what they do, because they know the factors that affect the cheese-making process in their areas, such as climate, humidity, pH balance, timing, the characteristics of the local milk, and other aspects necessary in the process. In tropical Indonesia, cheesemakers know that the pH level decreases fast because of the heat.

 

The quality of milk is also vital in cheese-making. “No matter how good the technique is, if the milk is bad, the outcome of the cheese will be affected,” he says. “Therefore, I avoid GMO and hormone injections to increase milk production (especially the rBGH hormone) and any other chemicals in the milk I use. These chemicals can kill the bacteria in milk that are needed to develop flavour.” 

 

For Muhammad Najmi, the best milk for cheese-making are those transported not further than 30km. “The further the origin, the less balanced the natural fermentation,” he says. The milk must also be processed at the latest of one hour after it is milked. Hence, Mazaraat uses only organic milk from Mount Merapi, delivered fresh 45 minutes after milking, and derived from grass-fed cows whose grass is free of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. 

 

Other considerations include the hygienic living conditions for cows, their food, how they are treated by humans, and the milking process, adds Muhammad Najmi.

 

The simple process and ingredients

The production process at Mazaraat is based on traditional authentic methods and they use natural ingredients. “We only have four phases of cheese-making, adjust four parameters (temperature, time, humidity, pH or scale of acidity) and use four ingredients (fresh milk, rennet enzyme, bacterial cheese, pure sea salt). With these elements you can create all 2,000 types of cheese around the world,” says Muhammad Najmi.

 

Mazaraat uses up to 500 litres of milk per day for artisan cheeses. Production is purely done using manual machines. The production volume is 350 litres in the morning and 100 litres at night.

 

“Ten litres of milk is needed to produce about 1 kg of cheese. The milk is first mixed with kefir milk and warmed on the stove and stirred slowly. The temperature can only be increased about 1 degree per 5 minutes until the temperature reaches 32 degrees. Increasing the temperature too quickly results in clots, hence a cheese-making thermometer is necessary,” explains Muhammad Najmi.

 

The third ingredient, rennet enzyme, made from extracts of vegetable or animal, is stirred into the product for about 20-40 seconds to ensure an even mix, and is allowed to stand for 60 minutes.

 

A batch is done when the curd texture looks right. “If it’s not solid enough give it a few minutes and check again. After that, organic sea salt, the last ingredient, is added. Muhammad Najmi reveals that iodized salt will kill important bacteria.  

 

As to distribution, Mazaraat has expanded its network. The company has key recipients or sellers in one area that would accept 30 kg or more of products. Muhammad Najmi explains, “The greater the volume, the more we can maintain the temperature. If we send 1/2 kg of cheese with 50% ice gel, or a 1: 1 comparison, the temperature will drop faster and the product will become bad quicker. With a composition of 30 kg product and 20% ice gel, the temperature can be maintained for up to 3 days in a sealed Styrofoam.”

 

Currently, Mazaraat’s distributor in Bali distributes 1.5 tonnes per month of products which are then supplied to hotels and restaurants. The company has other outlets in Bali for organic cheese, and several outlets in Jakarta distribute Mazaraat products. 

 

Sharing the knowledge

Muhammad Najmi’s love for natural cheese goes beyond selling the product. Competition aside, his company also conducts cheese-making workshops. 

 

“One of the reasons I conduct these workshops is to develop good cheesemakers and to develop a cheese-maker community where we can motivate and share knowledge each other. More cheese-makers would mean more demand for good quality milk, and our farmers will be willing to produce better milk,” he says. “I am especially fond of doing these workshops in universities because they are the seeds of young food entrepreneurs. If they use good manufacturing practices from the start, they will hopefully keep on practicing it.” 

 

“To truly maintain the traditional and organic ways of producing cheese, we also educate the milk farmers on how to treat their cows and the produce. We want to start from the source,” he concludes.

 

The future of artisan cheese in Indonesia

The future is promising. Muhammad Najmi says, “Ten years ago Denmark had to import cheese to meet their demand. Then five years ago, they met 100% of their national demand. Two years later, they are exporting cheese. Most imported cheeses in Indonesia come from Denmark. Indonesia has great potential to do the same, too.”

According to Muhammad Najmi, organic milk for cheese-making is easy to get in Indonesia. He says the locals are willing to work hard, be guided, and to start from scratch. “We are starting to develop the potential step by step, from top to bottom.”

 

“Many big players are also starting to get interested. I have heard of many big names who want to go into organic milk farming. This is good because right now the demand exceeds the supply. If you ask cafés, restaurants and hotels, all of them would say that it’s difficult to obtain good cheese. We are a tourism country after all.”

 

A vision for Mazaraat 

Mazaraat eyes expansion in Southeast Asia. “Currently, our partner in Berastagi, North Sumatera, exports their cheese products to Singapore. So hopefully, our expansion in Southeast Asia will be achieved shortly.”

In the next 10 years, Mazaraat aims to be an established name in Asia. “I will handle factories in the Philippines and India. That means we have then met the demand in Indonesia, and have been able to export quality cheese,” says Muhammad Najmi. 

But beyond being a strong producer of artisan cheese, Muhammad Najmi envisions Mazaraat to be the R&D arm and a consulting company on cheese production.

“We want to conduct research on other types of cheese and to master as many varieties of cheese in the world as we can, because in the future, we want to be the cheese R&D arm for manufacturers under our supervision or even those who are not affiliated with us. We can also develop our consulting services.” 

Mazaraat is on the right track. According to Muhammad Najmi the company’s cheese and creamery school opens in 2019. So, all is looking bright for this cheese-maker in Indonesia.