Tamgout Cheese: A Swiss-Inspired Success Story in Algeria’s Atlas Mountains
Source: DairyNews.today
In just 15 years, Tamgout cheese has become a symbol of pride for Algeria’s Atlas Mountains, blending Swiss Gruyère and Dutch Gouda styles into a unique creation. The man behind this success, Rachid Ibersiene, took an unconventional path to cheesemaking.
After dabbling in filmmaking in Italy and working as a computer consultant in Switzerland for 16 years, Ibersiene found his passion in the Swiss mountain chalets, where he first observed cheesemongers at work.
“I took a training course and learned from my cheesemaking customers in Switzerland. I trained in Gruyère, the country of cheese,” Ibersiene recalls. This hands-on experience inspired him to return to Algeria in 2006 and establish his company, Fafi, named in tribute to his mother.
Despite initial challenges securing financial backing, Ibersiene invested his life savings into the venture, spending over 10 million dinars ($73,000) on equipment. The factory started to turn a profit in 2018, and today, Ibersiene and his team of five employees produce nearly 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cheese daily from raw cow’s milk, with no additives. The maturation process for Tamgout cheese varies from one month to two years, depending on customer preferences.
The success of Tamgout has drawn attention from both local and international customers. “Customers come from abroad to buy it, including someone from New York,” Ibersiene proudly notes. Tamgout cheese, bearing the slogan “A Swiss idea, an Algerian cheese,” was initially sold in supermarkets across Algeria, but is now primarily available in specialty and gourmet shops due to distribution challenges.
Ibersiene's entrepreneurial spirit has also led him to experiment with new projects. One of the most exciting developments is his recent venture into producing camel milk cheese. “It’s a first,” he says, although he is unsure if it’s the first of its kind globally. “A French cheesemonger wanted to buy it at any price, but we’re keeping it for testing,” he adds with a smile.
As Tamgout continues to grow in popularity, it has become a ritual stop for visitors traveling through the region. Merchants like Omar Khaled Tilioua and Mounir Si Hadji Mouhand regularly make the trip from Oran to stock up on the cheese, which they now purchase by the wheel.
Ibersiene’s journey from the Swiss Alps to Algeria’s Atlas Mountains has not only revived the local dairy industry but has also introduced a new generation of Algerians and international visitors to a uniquely Algerian product. Adapting Swiss cheesemaking techniques to Algeria’s smaller, more diversified farms has resulted in a product with a distinctly nuanced and "typically Algerian" taste. For Ibersiene, the success of Tamgout is a source of pride, proving that even from humble beginnings, a business rooted in tradition can achieve international acclaim.
“I took a training course and learned from my cheesemaking customers in Switzerland. I trained in Gruyère, the country of cheese,” Ibersiene recalls. This hands-on experience inspired him to return to Algeria in 2006 and establish his company, Fafi, named in tribute to his mother.
Despite initial challenges securing financial backing, Ibersiene invested his life savings into the venture, spending over 10 million dinars ($73,000) on equipment. The factory started to turn a profit in 2018, and today, Ibersiene and his team of five employees produce nearly 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cheese daily from raw cow’s milk, with no additives. The maturation process for Tamgout cheese varies from one month to two years, depending on customer preferences.
The success of Tamgout has drawn attention from both local and international customers. “Customers come from abroad to buy it, including someone from New York,” Ibersiene proudly notes. Tamgout cheese, bearing the slogan “A Swiss idea, an Algerian cheese,” was initially sold in supermarkets across Algeria, but is now primarily available in specialty and gourmet shops due to distribution challenges.
Ibersiene's entrepreneurial spirit has also led him to experiment with new projects. One of the most exciting developments is his recent venture into producing camel milk cheese. “It’s a first,” he says, although he is unsure if it’s the first of its kind globally. “A French cheesemonger wanted to buy it at any price, but we’re keeping it for testing,” he adds with a smile.
As Tamgout continues to grow in popularity, it has become a ritual stop for visitors traveling through the region. Merchants like Omar Khaled Tilioua and Mounir Si Hadji Mouhand regularly make the trip from Oran to stock up on the cheese, which they now purchase by the wheel.
Ibersiene’s journey from the Swiss Alps to Algeria’s Atlas Mountains has not only revived the local dairy industry but has also introduced a new generation of Algerians and international visitors to a uniquely Algerian product. Adapting Swiss cheesemaking techniques to Algeria’s smaller, more diversified farms has resulted in a product with a distinctly nuanced and "typically Algerian" taste. For Ibersiene, the success of Tamgout is a source of pride, proving that even from humble beginnings, a business rooted in tradition can achieve international acclaim.
23.09.2024
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