Randy Chandler
Goat cheese is a versatile dairy product that can be crafted into a wide range of flavours, textures and formats to suit all tastes. From fresh and tangy to soft-ripened and buttery aged varieties, goat cheese is made from goat's milk and offers a diverse array of options for cheese enthusiasts. The different types of goat cheese can be classified based on factors such as texture, flavour, ageing process, and production method. Whether you enjoy it melted, grated, sliced, or spread, goat cheese provides a unique tasting experience and adds a touch of sophistication to any dish or cheese board.
Characteristics and Values of Goat Cheese
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Flavors | Sweet, herbaceous, savory, tangy, spicy, floral, nutty, bold, creamy, salty |
| Texture | Soft, firm, dry, fluffy, melting, dense, velvety, buttery, gooey, creamy |
| Type | Fresh, aged, soft-ripened, pressed, uncooked pressed, raw, pasteurized, local terroir |
| Shape | Logs, pucks, discs, pyramids, blocks, boxed |
| Region | Mexican, Norwegian, Spanish, French |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Flavours: sweet, savoury, spicy, herbed, truffle, and more
- Fresh goat cheese: high water content, white, smooth, and mild
- Soft-ripened: mushroomy rind, gooey creamline, dense paste
- Aged goat cheese: complex flavours, unique textures, dry texture
- Local terroir goat cheese: from France's Poitou and Loire Valley
Flavours: sweet, savoury, spicy, herbed, truffle, and more
Goat cheese is produced using goat milk and is commonly used to make cultured dairy products, including cheese. There are many different types of goat cheese, each with its own unique flavour profile.
Goat cheese can be sweet, savoury, spicy, herbed, truffle-flavoured, or even a combination of these flavours. For instance, there is a goat cheese that tastes like mango lassi with a hint of fruity habanero heat. Another example is a goat cheese that is rolled in a mix of parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, and basil, giving it an herbaceous flavour.
Herbed goat cheese is a popular variety, with many recipes available online. One such recipe includes a combination of dill and flat-leaf parsley, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, served on artisan sourdough bread. Another recipe involves marinating goat cheese in an infusion of oil with spices and herbs such as allspice, coriander, garlic, orange zest, bay leaves, and star anise.
Goat cheese can also be paired with sweet foods. For example, a simple salad can include a mix of arugula, Asian pear, lemon dressing, and goat cheese, with a crunchy element like pumpkin seeds or green apples. Goat cheese can also be baked into a cheesecake, adding a savoury element to this dessert, or used in a pasta sauce with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Finally, goat cheese is a perfect match for truffles. Black Goat Truffle cheese, for instance, has a pungent, earthy aroma and flavour from the black truffles, blending deliciously with the sweetness of fresh goat cheese.
Goat Cheese Delight: Tartlets with a Tangy Twist
You may want to see also
Fresh goat cheese: high water content, white, smooth, and mild
Fresh goat cheese is an excellent option for those looking for a mild and creamy cheese to incorporate into a wide variety of recipes. With a high water content, this type of cheese is known for its perfectly white, smooth, and supple texture. Its mild and light taste makes it a perfect introduction to goat cheese for those who are new to it.
Fresh goat cheese, also known as chèvre, is a versatile ingredient that can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Its creamy texture and tangy taste make it a delightful addition to salads, spreads, toppings, or sides. For a winning breakfast combination, spread it on toast with avocado, sautéed vegetables, and eggs. It can also be stuffed into chicken breasts with fresh herbs and then roasted, or used as a filling for mini tarts along with sliced figs for a crowd-pleasing appetiser.
The younger and fresher the goat cheese, the milder and fresher it will taste. Fresh goat cheese is typically softer and more spreadable, making it a convenient option for a variety of culinary creations. Its high water content contributes to its supple texture, and it is best enjoyed when fully ripened, as the flavour will be stronger.
In addition to its versatility in cooking, fresh goat cheese offers several nutritional benefits. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats, making it a nutritious dairy product. The fatty acids in goat cheese are metabolised faster than those in cow's cheese, leading to increased satiety and reduced hunger. Goat cheese is also a good source of calcium, which is essential for bone, teeth, and organ health, and it contains riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is important for the production and functioning of new cells.
Goat Cheese: Paleo-Friendly Superfood or Unhealthy Indulgence?
You may want to see also
Soft-ripened: mushroomy rind, gooey creamline, dense paste
Soft-ripened goat cheese is a treat for the senses, offering a complex interplay of textures and flavours. This style of goat cheese boasts a mushroomy rind, a gooey creamline, and a dense paste that creates a delightful contrast. The soft-ripened variety is crafted from the finest goat milk, resulting in a velvety texture and nuanced, rich flavours.
The process of creating soft-ripened goat cheese is an art, with cheesemakers carefully cultivating the delicate balance between the rind, creamline, and paste. The rind, with its mushroomy notes, adds a subtle earthiness to the overall flavour profile. It also contributes to the cheese's velvety texture, ensuring each bite melts effortlessly on the palate.
The gooey creamline is where the magic happens. It delivers a burst of tanginess, providing a delightful contrast to the denser elements of the cheese. This creamline is the star of the show, offering a luxurious softness that makes this variety of goat cheese so irresistible.
The dense paste of soft-ripened goat cheese provides a substantial foundation that balances the creamline's tanginess. It adds depth and body to the overall sensory experience, ensuring each bite is a journey through a range of textures and flavours. This dense paste is also what gives soft-ripened goat cheese its signature appearance, making it stand out on any cheese platter.
When it comes to pairing options, soft-ripened goat cheese is incredibly versatile. It pairs beautifully with fresh fruit, enhancing the sweetness of the fruit and creating a harmonious combination. It is also delightful with crusty bread, providing a creamy contrast to the bread's crunch. For those who enjoy a tipple, soft-ripened goat cheese is a perfect match for a glass of wine, be it a crisp white or a full-bodied red.
With its intricate flavours and textures, soft-ripened goat cheese showcases the craftsmanship of cheesemakers. Each variety, from the luxurious Humboldt Fog to the tangy Truffle Tremor, offers a unique tasting experience that elevates any occasion, whether enjoyed as a snack, an appetizer, or the star of a cheese course.
Goat Cheese and Fruit: Perfect Pairing Ideas
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Aged goat cheese: complex flavours, unique textures, dry texture
Goat cheese, or chèvre affiné in French, is produced using goat milk. While some prefer their goat cheese fresh and tangy or soft-ripened, others opt for the more complex flavours and unique textures of aged goat cheese.
Aged goat cheese is a culinary treasure that captivates the palate with its depth of character. The ageing process, developed by ancient nomadic cultures, allows goat cheese to develop complex flavours and intriguing, dry textures with unparalleled nuances. This makes it a standout on any cheeseboard or as a topping for salads, pastas, grilled or roasted vegetables, soups, and stews.
Aged goat cheese is typically aged for two months or more, resulting in a firmer texture than its fresh and soft-ripened counterparts. This makes it perfect for melting, grating, slicing, and snacking. The longer ageing process also intensifies the flavours, resulting in a nuttier, tangier, or richer profile.
Aged goat cheese pairs well with a variety of flavours, including honey, dried fruits (such as apricots and figs), nuts (such as walnuts and pecans), olives, balsamic vinegar, and herbs (such as thyme and rosemary). Its complex flavours and dry texture can complement sweet, earthy, and bitter components beautifully.
Aged goat cheese has a long and storied history, with different regions developing their own distinct styles influenced by local traditions, climates, and terroirs. For example, Añejo cheese is a firm, aged Mexican cheese traditionally made from skimmed goat's milk, while Brunost (known as Geitost when made with goat milk) is a brown goat cheese from Norway with a sweet flavour profile.
Goat Cheese: A True Mediterranean Delicacy?
You may want to see also
Local terroir goat cheese: from France's Poitou and Loire Valley
France is the largest producer of pure goat cheeses—cheese made with goat's milk only—in the world, with 3,000 producers and 60 dairies producing over 265 million pounds of goat cheese each year. French farmers manage the third-largest goat herd in Europe, with 1,381,000 goats.
French Chèvre has been produced in eight regions: Poitou-Charentes; Centre-Val de Loire; Bourgogne; Rhône-Alpes; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; Languedoc-Roussillon; Midi-Pyrénées; and Aquitaine; all south of the Loire River. The style we are familiar with today has its roots in the 8th century, when Moors from Spain, part of the armies of the Umayyad Caliphate, brought their goats with them on their journey. They were ultimately defeated and left their goats behind. The Loire River Valley farmers then began to care for the goats and turn their milk into cheese.
Chabichou du Poitou, a goat cheese from Poitou, has a delicate, slightly sweetish flavor. It pairs well with a Pouilly Fumé, a dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Crottin de Chavignol, a rustic little round of cheese from the Loire Valley, packs a wallop of tangy, sharp flavor. It has a mild, balanced flavor, neither sweet nor sour, and pairs well with a crisp white Quincy wine.
Goat Cheese and Constipation: What's the Real Deal?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
There are several different types of goat cheese, including fresh goat cheese, soft goat cheese, hard goat cheese, and aged goat cheese. Fresh goat cheese, also known as chèvre, has a high water content and a mild and light taste. Soft goat cheeses have a distinctive supple texture and a melt-in-the-mouth core, while hard goat cheeses are drier in texture and have a more full-bodied flavor. Aged goat cheeses develop complex flavors and unique textures, and can range from nutty to tangy in profile.
Goat cheese comes in a wide variety of flavors, including sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, and herbaceous. Some specific examples of goat cheese flavors include lavender, wild fennel pollen, dill, herbs, honey, blueberry vanilla, cranberry cinnamon, and orange blossom honey.
Some popular goat cheese brands include Cypress Grove, Soignon, Primo, Emporium Selection, Montchevre, Boar's Head Chevre, and Trader Joe's Chevre.
