Bushra Griffith
Goat cheese, or Chèvre in French, is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours and textures. It is made like other cheeses, but using goat's milk. The milk is filtered, and a curdling agent is added, which can be rennet or a starter bacteria. The cheese is then moulded and separated from the whey. The curds are moulded, dried, flavoured, and cured. Goat cheese can be white, coated with ash or herbs, or wrapped in grape leaves. It is known for its tangy, earthy flavour and soft, spreadable texture. Goat cheese is a good choice for people with lactose intolerance, as it has a relatively low lactose content. It can be paired with honey, sliced pear, and walnuts, and goes well with white wine or beer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Production | Goat cheese is made by filtering milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent, moulding, and separating from the whey. It is then dried, flavoured, and cured. |
| Taste | Flavours range from mild to tangy, tart, salty, pungent, and earthy. |
| Texture | Can be crumbly, creamy, soft, semi-hard, hard, or spreadable. |
| Colour | Can be white, coated with ash, or wrapped in grape leaves. |
| Health | Contains capric acid, a fatty acid that promotes the development of good intestinal bacteria. It also has a relatively low lactose content, making it a good choice for lactose-intolerant individuals. |
| Pairings | Commonly paired with honey, sliced pear, and walnuts. Can also be paired with cocktails, white wine, beer, or red wine. |
| Varieties | Chèvre (French goat cheese), Yagi (Japanese goat cheese), Shosha (Tibetan goat cheese), Darfyieh, Djamid/Jameed, Nabulsi, Akkawi, Sirene, Anari, Halloumi, and more. |
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What You'll Learn
Goat cheese is easy to make at home
Goat cheese, or Chèvre, which translates to "goat" in French, is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours and textures. It is a popular choice for those with lactose intolerance due to its relatively low lactose content.
After the curdling agent is added, the mixture will begin to separate into curds and whey. The whey, which is the uncurdled liquid part of the milk, can be discarded or used for other purposes, such as feeding animals or making bread. The curds are then gathered and placed in a mould to be pressed and shaped. This step also helps to remove any remaining whey from the curds.
Once the cheese has been moulded, it is dried, flavoured, and cured. This process can vary depending on the desired texture and flavour of the cheese. For a softer cheese, the curing time will be shorter, while a harder cheese will require a longer curing time. The curing process can also be affected by the temperature and pressure used. After the cheese has cured, it can be wrapped in grape leaves or coated in ash or herbs for added flavour and preservation.
Making goat cheese at home is a relatively simple process, but it does require some time and patience. It is important to follow food safety guidelines when handling milk and other dairy products to ensure a safe and healthy final product. With the right ingredients and techniques, anyone can make their own delicious and versatile goat cheese at home.
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Goat cheese is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than cow's milk cheese
Goat cheese, or Chèvre in French, is a subset of cheese made with goat's milk. It is known for its versatility, with a wide range of flavours, textures, and types. The process of making goat cheese is similar to that of making cheese from cow's milk. The milk is filtered to remove impurities, and a curdling agent is added, which can be rennet or specific bacteria. The cheese is then moulded, separated from the whey, and dried.
Goat cheese is characterised by its distinctive flavour, derived from capric acid, a fatty acid unique to goat's milk. Despite being a source of fat, goat cheese is relatively lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol compared to cow's milk cheese. This makes it a healthier alternative for conscious consumers. The lower lactose content in goat cheese also makes it a suitable option for individuals with lactose intolerance.
The flavour profile of goat cheese varies from crumbly to creamy, mild to tangy, and earthy to intense. Its texture can be soft, semi-hard, or hard, depending on the production process. Fresh goat cheese, like Chèvre, tends to be soft and mild, while aged variants develop a more pungent character. Goat cheese is often coated with ash or herbs or wrapped in grape leaves, adding to its diverse sensory experience.
When it comes to food pairings, goat cheese is incredibly versatile. It can be paired with honey, sliced pear, and walnuts for a delightful combination. White wine, known for its freshness and perfumed notes, is often considered the perfect match for goat cheese. However, beer enthusiasts argue that the carbonation and complex taste notes of beer make it an even better companion for a cheese platter, offering a surprising yet delightful contrast to the creamy tang of goat cheese.
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Goat cheese is made from goat milk, culture and rennet
Goat cheese, or chèvre, is made from only a few key ingredients: goat's milk, culture, and rennet. The process starts with raising healthy and happy goats, which are then milked. The health and happiness of the goat are essential during the milking process, and the goat's udder health is carefully monitored to ensure that the process is never painful.
Once the milk is collected, it is brought to room temperature, and a culture is added along with a few drops of rennet. The mixture is then stirred, covered, and set aside for 18-24 hours. The curds are then drained in a butter muslin-lined colander, and the cheese is flavoured with salt. The cheese is then ready to be eaten or cooked with, although it is best consumed within a week to ten days.
Goat cheese can also be aged, which results in a lower moisture content and a more concentrated flavour. Aged goat cheese makes up only about 5% of all goat cheese produced in the United States due to the lengthy aging process, which can take up to six months.
Goat cheese is known for its distinct tang, and the cultures added during the cheesemaking process are responsible for developing this flavour. The longer the cheese is left to sit, the more time the cultures have to work, resulting in a tangier cheese.
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Goat cheese can be soft and spreadable or aged
Goat cheese, or Chèvre, which translates to "goat" in French, comes in a variety of textures and flavours. The cheese-making process for goat cheese is similar to that of other types of cheese. The milk is filtered to remove impurities, and a curdling agent is added, which can be rennet or specific types of bacteria. The cheese is then moulded and separated from the whey, and the curds are dried, flavoured, and cured.
The variations in this process, such as the type of starter, curing time, and pressure, can significantly impact the final texture and flavour of the cheese. Goat cheese can be soft and spreadable, with a tangy and intense flavour when young. Fresh variants of Chèvre are often enjoyed within a few days of production and are known for their vibrant and pronounced flavours.
Goat cheese can also be aged, allowing the tangy flavours to settle and develop into more subtle hints of rural mushroom and cream. Blue mould cheese made from goat's milk, for example, has a clean and sharp aroma with hints of mushrooms. The ageing process allows the cheese to develop intricate profiles and a wide spectrum of types, including different ages, moulds, and rinds.
Goat cheese is known for its versatility, with flavours ranging from crumbly to creamy and mild to tangy. It can be white, coated with ash or herbs, or wrapped in grape leaves. The distinctive character of goat cheese comes from capric acid, a flavourful fatty acid that promotes good intestinal bacteria and is often sold as a health food product. Goat cheese is also a good choice for people with lactose intolerance due to its relatively low lactose content.
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Goat cheese is lower in lactose and easier to digest than cow's milk cheese
Goat cheese, or Chèvre in French, is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours and textures. It can be crumbly or creamy, mild or tangy, and is often coated with ash or herbs, or wrapped in grape leaves.
Goat cheese is lower in lactose than cow's milk cheese, making it a good choice for people with lactose intolerance. This is because the lactose in goat's milk exists in a looser curd structure, which is easier for the body to break down and digest. The lower levels of lactose also mean that the cheese is less sweet than cow's milk cheese.
Goat cheese is also a good source of capric acid, a fatty acid that promotes the development of good intestinal bacteria in humans. This can aid digestion and is one of the reasons why goat cheese is easier to digest than cow's milk cheese.
The process of making goat cheese is similar to that of other cheeses. The milk is filtered to remove impurities, and then a curdling agent is added, such as rennet or starter bacteria, which affect the size of the curds and the eventual consistency of the cheese. The cheese is then moulded and separated from the whey, and the curds are moulded, dried, flavoured, and cured.
Variations in this process, such as the type of starter, the time and pressure of draining, and the curing process, can change the texture and flavour of the cheese. For example, white mould goat cheese, such as Goat Brie or Castello Double Crème White with Goat's Milk, offers a new take on established classics. The tang of the goat's milk softens as it matures, giving way to subtle hints of rural mushroom and rich cream.
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Frequently asked questions
Goat cheese is a cheese made from goat's milk. It is known as "Chèvre" in French, which simply means "goat".
Goat cheese has a tangy, earthy flavor and a soft, crumbly, almost spreadable texture.
Goat cheese is made by filtering the milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent like rennet or bacteria, molding the cheese, and separating it from the whey. The curds are then molded, dried, flavored, and cured.
Goat cheese pairs well with white wine, beer, and cocktails.
