Back in Beijing, Liu experimented with making batches at home, which received a magnifique reaction from those most discerning of connoisseurs, the French.

A few more try-outs confirmed that Liu was indeed onto a winner, so he put together capital of 200,000 yuan (22,000 euros) to buy French-made equipment and rented a factory building. Le Fromager De Pekin was well and truly in business.

Liu's company, the Fromager de Pekin, now has orders from up-market hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Financial Street and Hotel G, gourmet restaurants such as Maison Boulud de Pekin, Capital M and Modo, the French embassy and companies with a nucleus of French employees such as Airbus in Tianjin and Michelin in Shenyang.

In addition, the cheeses are sold in the expatriate-oriented supermarkets dotted around Beijing that sell Western food staples.

The company's core business consists of private customers, mostly in Beijing, with some in Shanghai and other cities, who order the cheese via the Internet, or call Liu directly.

As well as appreciating the quality of the products, the mostly-expatriate clients are enthusiastic supporters of an individual who has invested so much time and effort into the business; serving dinner-party guests China-made cheeses invariably produces intrigued, even astonished, reactions.

One of the most popular orders is the tasting selection, perfect for parties, or as an introduction to the wide range of cheeses that Liu offers. A large platter with eight different kinds retails for 350 yuan, with the five-variety platter going for 200 yuan.

Although sales to Chinese currently account for only a small part of the business, that is slowly changing as more and more people experiment with Western foods.

Young people in particular are traveling more and more to France and other European countries where they develop a taste for cheese, and its usual gourmet companion, wine.

There are already plenty of successful food-retail projects out there to inspire Liu. The cynics predicted that Kentucky Fried chicken would fail because China already had an oversupply of deep-fried poultry purveyors selling the dish cheaply; that Starbucks would bomb because Chinese did not drink coffee, and that Pizza Hut would fail to find a market because Chinese did not like cheese.

"Chinese people are becoming more and more interested in eating cheese," says Liu.

"In three years' time I think sales could be split 50-50 between expatriates and Chinese. It is like coffee, it has really grown in popularity during the last 10 years. In future, I will focus on Chinese customers. I think in time people will learn the cheese culture."

The ever-expanding range includes ricotta, Greek-style yoghurt cheese, as well as French style cheeses infused with herbs from Provence, olive oil, black pepper and onion.

Among the fans of Le Fromager de Pekin is Cyril Arrouard, the French executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton Financial Street, who says Liu makes "very good, fresh quality cheeses."

The surging demand leaves the affable and rangy Liu little time to pursue his twin hobbies of playing basketball, or working out in the gym. But he can see the future rewards that will result from contemporary hard work.

He adds: "I work seven days a week, normally 10 hours a day. I live close to the factory, about 10 minutes away."

In the future, he says, "I will continue to make artisan cheeses, more kinds of them. I also want to have an organic farm . . . "

You can contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.