Cheese Keju: The Ancient and Modern Story of Indonesian Cheese
Ancient Roots of Keju in Indonesia
Water buffalo have a deep and ancient footprint across Asia. Their long history shapes Indonesia’s earliest dairy traditions, including keju (cheese). Zoological and archaeological evidence shows that water buffalo originated in the Indian subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia. These regions include India, Nepal, southern China, and the broader Southeast Asian mainland. People domesticated these animals five to six thousand years ago, long before written history.
They reached Indonesia through the great Austronesian migrations. As Austronesian seafarers moved across the archipelago two to three thousand years ago, they brought water buffalo to Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. By the time cultures such as the Toraja and Enrekang emerged, buffalo were already central to daily life. Communities relied on them for agriculture, ceremonies, milk, and draft power.
Water Buffalo in Toraja Ritual Life
The Toraja people of Tana Toraja have woven water buffalo into their ceremonial life for many centuries. The tradition likely spans more than a thousand years. Toraja culture is rooted in oral tradition, so the exact starting point is unknown. Even so, buffalo play a major role in their ancient belief system, Aluk To Dolo, “the way of the ancestors.”
Dutch ethnographers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries recorded elaborate buffalo sacrifices at Toraja funerals. Their observations show that the practice was already well established. Cultural evidence suggests an even older origin. Buffalo appear in Toraja myths, tongkonan houses display buffalo motifs carved centuries ago, and social status historically depended on buffalo ownership. Aluk To Dolo may date back to the earliest Austronesian migrations into Sulawesi. This means buffalo shaped Toraja life long before outside contact.
Despite this deep connection, the Toraja are not the makers of Indonesia’s first keju dangke cheese.
Dangke: A Cheese Keju Tradition from Enrekang
Dangke comes from Enrekang, a culturally distinct region south of Toraja in South Sulawesi. It is especially common in the districts of Enrekang, Baraka, Anggeraja, and Alla. Because Enrekang culture relies heavily on oral tradition, no written record pinpoints the exact origin of dangke. However, historical and anthropological clues show that the tradition is several centuries old.
Historical Evidence of Dangke’s Age
Dutch colonial records from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries describe water buffalo husbandry in Enrekang and local milk processing. They also mention a “cheese-like food” made with papaya sap. This suggests that dangke was already well established. Cultural evidence pushes the origin even further back. Enrekang communities have raised buffalo for many generations. Papaya sap coagulation is an old Austronesian technique. Dangke remains deeply tied to local identity. Together, these clues indicate that dangke has existed for at least two to three centuries, and possibly more than four.
Papaya Sap and the Making of Dangke
Dangke stands out because it uses fresh papaya sap as its coagulant. The sap from unripe papaya fruit or the tree stem contains papain, a natural enzyme that breaks down proteins. When added to warm buffalo or cow milk, papain cuts the casein proteins, forms curds, and separates the whey. The chemistry mirrors cheese making worldwide but uses a tropical plant instead of animal rennet.
A Likely Accidental Discovery
The discovery of dangke may have been accidental. Papaya leaf stems are hollow, and someone may have used one as a straw to drink buffalo milk. A small amount of sap inside the stem could have coagulated the milk. This would concentrate the proteins and fats and create the earliest form of dangke. Food history often includes such accidental discoveries, and this theory fits both the science and the cultural context.
Papain does more than coagulate milk. It also breaks proteins into short peptides, many of which taste naturally bitter. Combined with dangke’s mild salting and high moisture content, this enzymatic action often gives the cheese a bitterness that some people find challenging. Dangke is culturally important, but its flavor profile is not universally appealing.
Other Dairy Traditions in Indonesia
Indonesia has very few traditional dairy products. In Sumatra, the Minangkabau people make dadih, a fermented buffalo milk curd prepared in bamboo tubes. The Batak people of North Sumatra produce dangol, a thick and slightly caramelized reduction of buffalo milk. Beyond these examples, Indonesia did not develop a broad dairy tradition. Dairy animals were not widespread, and milk was not a major part of the traditional diet.
The First Modern Indonesian Cheeses: Kasu and Rahu
Indonesia’s long pause in dairy innovation changed when PT. Pasti Enak registered two original cheeses: Kasu and Rahu. Kasu, registered with BPOM in 2018, is fermented in rice and carries a slightly sweet, floral aroma. Rahu, registered in 2024, is aged in toasted cacao and finished with coconut ash. The cheese mimics a solar eclipse and honors the story of the demi-god Rahu. These cheeses represent the first modern Indonesian cheeses and mark a new era of artisanal dairy craftsmanship.
Cheese Keju in Indonesia Today
Keju has ancient roots in Indonesia through the long relationship between people and water buffalo. The tradition remained unchanged for centuries. Today, with access to fresh milk and a growing interest in gourmet artisanal foods, Indonesia is experiencing a renaissance in cheese making. Modern creations like Kasu and Rahu are not just products. They are cultural expressions that honor the past while shaping the future of Indonesian gastronomy.