Austagram cheese is a soft, white, lightly salted cottage cheese made by hand in Austagram, a haor upazila of Kishoreganj. Locally it is called paneer, and it is shaped into round, apple-like pieces of about one kilogram each. Austagram cheese is one of the few food crafts in Bangladesh that still follows a family method handed down through generations, and it is now a small brand of its own.
What Is Austagram Cheese?
Austagram cheese is a fresh, handmade cheese that uses raw cow or buffalo milk, natural rennet from an abomasum (a part of the cow’s stomach), water and salt. There is no factory line and no fancy machine. The cheesemakers work in simple village homes, and each piece is pressed, shaped and salted by hand. Because it is a natural, small-batch product, every maker has a slightly different taste and texture.
A Craft Passed Down Through Generations
Local people say the cheese industry in Austagram began in the Mughal era. Some cheesemakers proudly recall that their forefathers supplied cheese to the Nawab family of Dhaka. Many of today’s makers learned the craft from their fathers and grandfathers, and they live in villages such as Moddhya Austagram and Kutubshahi Masjid Para.
The industry has always been small. In the past, only seven or eight families made cheese here. By 2023, at least 20 families were producing it, and the upazila livestock office counted around 25 listed cheesemakers, although some stopped working after the pandemic. In October 2022, the upazila administration also organised training for 50 people linked to cheesemaking, including dairy farmers and marketers.
How Austagram Cheese Is Made
The method is simple on paper but needs skill and patience. A cheesemaker described the steps like this:
- The abomasum is cleaned, cut into pieces, salted and dried in the sun for a week or more until it can be used.
- In the evening, a piece is soaked in fresh water for around 20 hours to make a sour liquid that works as natural rennet.
- In the morning, the maker buys fresh milk, often at the Austagram Boro Bazar, and strains it into a large pot.
- The soaked water is added, and the pot is covered and left for around 30 minutes, until the milk separates into curds and whey.
- The curds are cut, mashed and squeezed to remove water, then placed in a round basket and pressed.
- The cheese rests overnight. The next morning, salt is rubbed on the outside and pushed into three small holes made in the cheese.
- After another 24 hours, it is ready to sell.
Why the Haor Shapes the Craft
The haor decides almost everything about Austagram cheese. It takes about 10 kg of milk to make 1 kg of cheese, so the supply and price of milk control how much can be made. Summer is the best season, because the haor water recedes, fresh grass grows and cows give more milk. For about seven months of the year, the land stays under water, feed for cattle becomes hard to find and milk gets more expensive.
Buffalo milk gives more cheese than cow’s milk because it has more fat. In the dry season, buffalo herders from other districts bring their animals to the haor, and some cheesemakers make advance deals with them. Remote roads add to the challenge, since the haor upazilas are cut off from nearby towns during the monsoon.
How Austagram Cheese Became Famous
For a long time, the cheese was known mostly to people in the haor and in Kishoreganj. Public praise at the opening of the all-weather road through the haor brought it national attention. Online food shops now deliver it across the country, and the name has become a brand. Some makers say shops elsewhere sometimes sell other cheese under the Austagram name, so buying from a trusted source matters.
Where to Buy Austagram Cheese
Most makers sell directly from their homes, and a 2023 report found only one cheese shop in the Austagram bazar. Some customers come from the haor area and Kishoreganj town, and visitors who travel the all-weather road also stop to buy. Many makers send cheese by courier, though the nearest courier service is in Kishoreganj town, so delivery can take time.
Buying Tips
- Ask locals in Austagram for the makers they trust
- Call or message ahead, because some makers sell out or work in small batches
- Check that the cheese is fresh and kept in a clean place
- Carry it home in a cool bag, since it is a fresh, perishable product
- Expect price to change with milk cost and season
Good to Know
The cheese uses animal rennet, so it is not suitable for strict vegetarians. It is also salted, so taste a little first before you plan a recipe.
Visit Austagram
Austagram is about 60 km south of Kishoreganj town. Combine a cheese stop with the all-weather road across Nikli Haor and the five-domed Kutub Shah Mosque for a full day. It is a lovely way to taste the place you are visiting.
Quick Answers About Austagram Cheese
What is Austagram cheese?
It is a soft, salty, handmade cottage cheese from Austagram in Kishoreganj, locally called paneer.
Is Austagram cheese made with milk and salt only?
It uses milk, natural rennet from an abomasum, water and salt.
Can I buy it online?
Yes, some online shops sell it, but buying from a trusted maker is safer.