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Camel milk is now finding use in cheese and chocolates in India

Known for its therapeutic properties, camel milk is giving camel herders of Rajasthan and Kutch a new livelihood

Earlier this year, we got a chance to sample camel milk cheese at ‘A Taste of Pastoral India: Crafting Artisanal Cheese,’ an event held in Ahmedabad that lent insights into the pastoral communities of India, curated by Sahjeevan (Centre for Pastoralism) and Chennai-based Käse Cheese.

We delved a bit deeper and found a plethora of camel milk products that have been flooding the market, right from a shampoo and conditioner line launched in 2020 (by cosmetics brand Faith & Patience) to brands using camel milk to make edible products like cheese and chocolates.

One of the first companies in India to sell camel milk products was Aadvik Foods, launched seven years ago. Founded by Bikaner-based Hitesh Rathi, the idea stemmed when he was a civil engineering student looking for an innovative business idea. Today, Aadvik Foods offers camel, goat and donkey milk-based products, including milk powder, ghee, chocolates and cheese. “We are working towards foraying into the skincare line too,” says Rathi, who runs the company with co-founder Shrey Kumar.

Hitesh Rathi and Shrey Kumar's Aadvik Foods makes camel, goat and donkey milk-based products

Hitesh Rathi and Shrey Kumar's Aadvik Foods makes camel, goat and donkey milk-based products

Aadvik Foods claims their products are preservative and additive free 

Aadvik Foods claims their products are preservative and additive free 

“The milk is procured from Rajasthan and Gujarat, and is processed into a powder form at a facility in Vadodara. We use freeze-drying technology to convert milk into powder so that the medicinal and nutritional properties of the milk are retained. All our products are natural and we don’t add any preservatives or additives,” continues Rathi.

The big idea

While still studying, Rathi, along with a few friends, began brainstorming what the next big thing could be. “Since I am from Bikaner, we decided to do something with camel milk. Upon finishing college, I took up a job in Myanmar which I didn’t enjoy. I returned to India and started working on the idea, spending the next few months doing market research and talking to people. This is when I realised that people were not aware of camel milk and its therapeutic benefits. This gave me confidence,” says Rathi.

The logistics of using camel milk

At one of the peak points in their business before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Rathi’s team procured about 70,000 to 80,000 litres of milk in one month. This figure slumped to zero during the pandemic. They are slowly recovering to original numbers. “The milk is sourced through nomads, who have a fixed route [on foot] that is subjective of the season. Depending upon how close a source of water is, the distance they trudge can be 50-100 kilometres to even 200-300 kilometres. While most output is in winter, it is in the summers that time is against them as the shelf life of the raw milk is up to a few hours only,” says Rathi. The milk is collected, stored immediately in chillers and pasteurised. It extends the shelf life by up to 45 days if kept frozen. “Within this time if we send it for drying, it can last up to 12 months in a powder form,” explains Rathi.

“WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT CHEESE WAS. BUT WE THINK IT IS A LUCRATIVE PRODUCT IF MARKETED PROPERLY. WE WILL GET SOME EXTRA INCOME AND IT WILL HELP HERDERS AS WELL AS OUR ANIMALS."

Gulabji

Their products are available on leading e-commerce platforms such as Amazon— both national and international—Flipkart and so forth, and a few standalone stores including Modern Bazaar in New Delhi, in addition to Aadvik Foods’ own website.

Third generation  camel herders, who travel across Pali, Sirohi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Bedmi and Udaipur are being roped in for camel milk collection 

Third generation camel herders, who travel across Pali, Sirohi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Bedmi and Udaipur are being roped in for camel milk collection 

Making cheese from camel milk

Camel milk is not easy to use, as compared to bovine milk. Namrata Sundaresan of Käse Cheese explains, “Camel milk has a different composition compared to cow milk. Cheese-making is an enzymatic reaction. When you add the rennet, it coagulates the protein to form cheese curd. This is the first level of cheese-making. Camel milk doesn’t coagulate easily and thus you cannot make paneer out of it. It becomes granular but remains milky. We make both hard and soft cheeses. At Käse, when you go to these communities, they have large herds that ensure we get a good amount of quality milk. During the winters, we easily get 150 litres per day, and in the summers, it varies,” she adds.
In partnership with Sahjeevan, they are using cheese-making as a tool to create a positive impact in the community. “I train them for quality control [and help with] implementation for a year and set up the compliances. At the end of the day, we buy back the cheese and sell it,” says Sundaresan.

Aadvik's products are made from camel milk, which is sourced from herders from Rajasthan and Gujarat

Aadvik's products are made from camel milk, which is sourced from herders from Rajasthan and Gujarat

After chocolates, cheese and milk powder Hitesh Rathi and Shrey Kumar want to turn their attention to skincare 

After chocolates, cheese and milk powder Hitesh Rathi and Shrey Kumar want to turn their attention to skincare 

Working with the locals

One of the herder communities Sundaresan works with are the Raikas in Bajju, Bikaner. They are the third generation of camel herders, travelling across Pali, Sirohi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Bedmi and Udaipur. In a community they have about 100 families, and each family owns about five to 10 camels. “We have one head herder who takes a monthly maintenance fee and takes care of the animals. Camels don’t need constant attention; you keep them bound together at night and leave them out to graze in the day. With the decrease in grazing areas, there is no open land for them to move around,” says Khemji, who belongs to the Raika community and works with DRC (Desert Resource Centre). He plays a managerial role in the milk processing unit that works closely with the community for procuring milk.

In the earlier days, animal rearing was the only means of employment. “Now, education has changed the situation and the younger generations are getting other jobs and even moving to bigger cities and abroad. They want a new life. Earlier, we would have up to 300 kilometres of free land to graze. Now the laws have restricted movement, and much of the land has been transformed into agriculture. People have put traps to curb animals, and on the road they might get trampled upon,” says Gulabji, a local cheesemaker who leads the cheese-making unit at Bajju.

The Raika family took the decision to try their hand at cheese-making. “We didn’t even know what cheese was. But we think it is a lucrative product if marketed properly. We will get some extra income, and will help herders as well as our animals,” says Gulabji. The Raikas are making three to four types of cheeses including Middle Eastern haloumi, feta, ricotta, whey caramel (concentrated whey which is a by-product of the cheese) and British Cheshire-style hard cheese, which is matured for three months.

In the beginning, the cheese-making process was difficult for them. “We experimented two to three times, and now we have come to a point where we can make a good product. The unit, which consists of machinery, vacuum packing as well as a testing laboratory, has a capacity of 2,500 litres,” says Gulabji. But, they are aware they need to further propagate the use of camel milk. “We consume camel milk around three times a day. Chai is also made using the same milk. The milk gives us urja (vitality),” Gulabji concludes.

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