Why Chefs In Indonesia Are Choosing Locally Made Cheese

From Sumatra to Bali, Eve Tedja uncovers a thriving artisan cheesemaking scene in Indonesia and talks to chefs who champion locally made cheese at their restaurants.

- Eve Tedja

As a popular weekend destination, Berastagi offers a picturesque escape, just 66 kilometers south of Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. Located 1,300 metres above sea level, it is refreshingly chilly. Two volcanoes, Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung, which constitute Indonesia’s longest mountain range Bukit Barisan, loom over Berastagi. Its soil is rich, allowing farming and agriculture to flourish. Black and white Holstein Friesian cows graze on its green pastures, especially on the ground that belongs to Gundaling Farmstead Berastagi.

Founded in 2005, the farmstead started humbly with just 20 cows which were purposefully raised to yield fertiliser. Milk was just the secondary product. However, the cows proved to be more beneficial as milk producers and the farm decided to focus on producing high-quality milk and yoghurt. “The turning point was in 2014. Fresh milk and yoghurt started to get more popular and suddenly there was a demand for both products. Our presence became known to the public and we received visitors from all over Indonesia who wanted to see our farm and buy fresh milk and yoghurt. We became a destination in Berastagi,” explains Andreas Kangga Lee, co-founder of Gundaling Farmstead Berastagi. Now,as the owner of 100 dairy cattle, (which are able to produce more than 2,000 litres of fresh milk daily) Lee provides employment for 60 staff. In 2017 he decided to venture into cheesemaking.