Malaysian Lifestyle Influencers Concoct Kaleidoscopic Cheese Platters
Malaysian hearts would melt at the mention of cheese. There are now more food offerings containing cheese and increasing different varieties of cheeses available in the market. The Malaysian cheese market is now worth RM1.094 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow annually by 7.52% (CAGR 2023 - 2027).
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) which is the largest agricultural marketing board in the California recently conducted an event to educate the Malaysian consumers about their high-quality cheeses that carry the Real California Milk seal. There is a wide repertoire of dairy products under the CMAB portfolio which are not only limited to cheeses, milk, butter, yogurt and ice-cream.
Malaysians are fortunate that they can enjoy various California cheeses like Cheddar, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack and Monterrey Jacks. For those who prefer artisanal cheeses, there are also blue cheese, smoked cheeses and organic cheeses from California, all marked with the seal “Real California Milk”.
Malaysia Country Representative for CMAB Eddie Saw said more Malaysians are starting to appreciate the quality of California dairy products like cheeses and ice creams that carry the Real California Milk seal. The cheeses are so good that you can enjoy them as they are anytime of the day. Many Malaysians are now starting to include cheeses in their cooking.
“Different cheeses offer their own unique quality and function – which open up a whole world of culinary possibilities via a wide selection of cheesy indulgence. It is important to note that cheeses that carry the Real California Milk offers are authentic natural cheese. Our cheeses use 100% real milk from cows in California and have won awards in the United States as well as abroad,” enthused Eddie.
A cook-off session which headlined 20 Malaysian lifestyle and food influencers was held recently in Malaysia to share the quality of California dairy and cheeses, especially those with the “Real California Milk” seal. Certified Executive Chef Barbara Alexander, with over 30 years’ experience in the Culinary and Hospitality field created four scrumptious recipes using Real California Cheese – Blue Cheese Chips, Korean Cheese Dogs, Iced Coffee Cheesecake Cream Puffs and Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Pizza. Chef Barbara explained that these recipes are easy-to-make and are highly popular with Asians, especially great to serve at family gatherings as well as for quick meals.
Chef Barbara elaborated, “One ounce of natural cheese, such as Cheddar, Jack, or Mozzarella, contains approximately 20% of a person’s recommended daily calcium intake. Those who are lactose-sensitive, or lactose-intolerant can still enjoy cheese if they eat natural hard (aged) or soft-ripened varieties, which contain little or no lactose.”
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| Chef Barbara (middle) presenting various cheese platters with Malaysia country reps |
All social media influencers donned their chef hats and created their own cheese platter which combines an assortment of Real California cheeses with various food items / ingredients. The creations were judged according to their presentation and creativity which depicted the versatility, scrumptiousness and simplicity in their concoctions.
The top three winning teams were:
- Grand Prize - Ms. Min Shamsuddin & Shamiera Osment who walked away with RM500.
- 1st Runner-up – Mr. Khairul Anuar & Mawardi Yunus with RM300.
- 2nd Runner-up – Ms. Kelly Chin & Ivy Kam with RM200.
The USA is the largest cow’s milk producer in the world and California is the top-milk producing and second largest cheese-producing state. Approximately 50 cheesemakers are producing more than 250 different varieties and styles of cheeses using exclusively California milk.
California dairy producers are very cognisant about the health, comfort and safety of their cows and take animal care very seriously. California is home to many modern, technologically advanced and efficient dairy operations in the world, with best practices for herd comfort and care - driven by the quest for cleaner and more sustainable future. California leads the U.S. in sustainable dairy farming practices.
