More than 10 brands of cheese are available locally.

CAN you tell your Brie from your Stilton? Or a Gruyère from a Gouda? Myanmar people are increasingly acquiring a taste for cheese – long a delicacy in Europe – despite its relatively high price here.

A cheese distributor in Myanmar for more than 18 years, U Kyaw San Lwin, who is the general manager of World Top Padamyar, says cheese is a vital source of nutrition in many regions in the world. And great quantities of it are used in Yangon hotels and bakeries to prepare European dishes.

Established in 1990, his company has been distributing canned butter and cheese imported from Australia. He has seen its popularity increase during that time.

“When Myanmar people throw a party, they usually serve desserts made from cheese,” he said.

“Canned cheese, packed cheese and sliced cheese are imported from abroad in a wide variety of brands. Packed and sliced cheese need to be kept refrigerated, but canned cheese does not,” he said.

“We distribute mainly canned cheese, which is suitable for those who do not have fridge,” he said. Packed and sliced cheese are more vulnerable to moisture and mould.

“In the Myanmar market, over 10 brands of cheese are imported and sold such as Cowhead, Volumetric, Kraft, Embrog, Mozzarella and President. In general, it costs around K10,000 for 1 kilogram, depending on the brand name,” he added. The only brand of canned cheese available is Red Feather.

U Khin Oo, who sells an extensive array of dairy products in Mingalar market, said sliced cheese was always in demand at restaurants and bakeries that make sandwiches and burgers.

“Kraft packed cheese from New Zealand and Red Feather cheese imported from Australia are available here. The new Red Feather brand costs K2600 for a can of 226g and there is also much of a market for Kraft old brand packed cheese at K4000 for 226g. Both products are of top quality,” U Khin Oo said.

According to U Hla Shwe, the owner of a diary products shop at Thein Gyi Market, margarine sells better than cheese. Like butter, it is inexpensive and easily available.

“Olympic brand packed cheese is K7000 per kilo. But we do not sell cheese because there is not much demand. If the customer wants, it can be ordered direct from cheese shops,” he said.

The largest producers of cheese are New Zealand, Australia and many European countries.

Cheese – with the exception of the canned variety – will keep for a few days without being refrigerated but it definitely won’t last all summer in the pantry.

Like other dairy products, cheese contains fat, protein, cholesterol and salt. Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk so it can supply a great deal of calcium and protein.