Abstract
This paper is the first report on the microbial population and predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of two soft‐varieties (mild and strong flavoured) of chhurpi., a traditional cheese product of the Sikkim Himalayas. The enzymatic profiles and percentage hydrophobicity (as one criterion of potential adhesion capability) of the predominant LAB were also studied. The LAB, yeasts and viable mesophilic microbial numbers ranged from 7.6–7.9, 7.0–7.4 and 7.7–8.0 log10 cfu/g respectively. The predominant LAB were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. curvatus, Lb. fermentum, Lb. paracasei subsp. pseudoplcmtarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. They produced a wide spectrum of enzymes and also exhibited similar patterns of enzymatic activity between species. In comparison to the peptidases, they showed relatively weak esterase and lipase activities. No proteinase activity was detected. Most strains had a high degree of hydrophobicity. The results are discussed in relation to the possible role of the strains in food processing.
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