It made me dream in technicolour, with an overwhelming emphasis on the yellow. No insignificant dreams these, they were a subconscious manifestation of my latent desires. As thick-headed Tom incessantly chased Jerry in the landmark Hanna-Barbera cartoon, I could almost smell the cheesy aroma beckoning the rodent. It looped around my TV screen, made its way to where I was seated, engulfing me. And as Jerry finally swallowed the mouthful, I could feel thick layers of decadence go down my throat. As, kids, all of us yearned to have that one piece of hole-ey cheese, but we satiated our appetites back then with those individual cheese slices that Amul dished out.

But that was then. When chocolate was Cadbury, soft drink was Thums Up and cheese was purely Amul, and occasionally a creamy Mother Dairy or a fun Britannia. Today, cheese has proudly evolved to become a gourmet experience in itself. Just as we saw Indians try their hand at swirling, sniffing and sipping wines, cheese has now gained that snob value, albeit it would be unfair to take away the high gastronomic pleasures that accompany it. It all came with the spread of European imperialism and the bombardment of the Euro-American culture. Though Indians still swear by paneer – an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid – we are now getting to know our Cheddar and Camembert, Edam and Emmental. According to a study, the Indian cheese industry is worth Rs 250 crore annually, and still growing. As the average middle-class Indian has started globe-trotting, it is only natural to have an influx of sights, smells and tastes from around the world, right at our doorstep.

Apart from the shops in Crawford market selling you packed imported varieties, we have gourmet stores and restaurants offering you an over-thecounter tasting option of their fresh varieties to help you get familiar with this world. We start our culinary journey at the very tip of our city at Indigo Delicatessen, a dainty deli near Regal Cinema in Colaba, which houses a decent yet eclectic selection of imported cheeses, though their prices are quite steep. The deli prides itself on its well-stocked wine cellar and on being a ‘full service gourmet hub’, which means that apart from being able to buy off gourmet foods, you can tuck in a light meal here too. Parmesan (Rs 1,700/kg), not surprisingly, is the most sought after here. A rich thick-crusted widely-enjoyed Italian cheese, it can be grated over pasta, stirred into soup and risotto, and eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. A huge striking red ball catches my eye and as my teeth sink into it, I realise that the reason I love it so is because it is not only so soft but widely suited to our Indian palette. This is Edam (Rs 925/kg), a pale yellow Dutch cheese, with a coat of paraffin, known to go well with fruits like peaches, melons, cherries, pears and apples and wines like Pinot noir. Raclette (Rs 1,634/kg), a semi-firm Swiss cheese is fairly popular while Cheddar (Rs 1,012/kg) is obviously more so. The young guy at the counter helps me with my cheese selection, albeit not so happily or voluntarily. The retail assistant, whose job is to generally do this, is away, I’m told. Hopefully, when you’ll get here, he would be present to show you around.