Patrick Oconnell
Goat cheese, often referred to by its French name, Chèvre, is made using milk from goats, similar to how cheese is made using milk from cows or sheep. Cheddar is a variety of goat cheese that is sharp and fruity but with a distinctive goaty tang. Singleton's and Billie's are examples of English goat cheddar cheese, made using traditional cheddaring techniques and 100% pure goat's milk.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Flavour | Sharp, fruity, tangy |
| Texture | Crumbly, creamy, mild, savoury, firm |
| Milk | 100% goat's milk |
| Type | Cheddar |
| Rennet | Vegetarian |
| Country | England |
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What You'll Learn
English goat cheddar is made from 100% goat's milk
English goat cheddar is a traditional cheddar made from 100% goat's milk. It is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours, from crumbly to creamy and mild to tangy. The distinctive character of goat's cheese comes from capric acid, a fatty acid derived from the Latin word 'capra', meaning goat. This acid lends a unique flavour to the cheese while promoting the development of beneficial intestinal bacteria in humans.
Goat's milk cheese is a good option for lactose-intolerant individuals due to its relatively low lactose content. It has a tart, soft, and almost spreadable texture, with an intense, earthy flavour when young. As it matures, the flavours mellow, allowing other pairings to shine.
English goat cheddar, specifically, is known for its mild and mellow flavours, produced using traditional cheddaring techniques. The process of making goat's milk cheese involves filtering the milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent like rennet or starter bacteria, moulding, drying, flavouring, and curing.
Variations in the cheese-making process, such as the type of starter, draining time and pressure, and curing duration and temperature, can result in different textures and flavours. For example, aged goat cheese can be covered in edible ash to prevent drying and maintain a clean surface, resulting in a fluffy middle and gooey exterior.
English goat cheddar joins a diverse family of goat's milk cheeses from around the world, including the French Tomme, Dutch Goat Gouda, Japanese Yagi, and various cheeses from the Middle East and the Balkans. Each variety boasts its own unique characteristics, showcasing the versatility and complexity of goat's milk as a base for cheese.
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It is made using traditional cheddaring techniques
English goat cheddar is made using traditional cheddaring techniques. But what are these traditional cheddaring techniques?
Cheddaring is a cheesemaking process that gives the cheese a dense, layered texture. After the curds form, they are cut into small pieces to expel liquid (whey). The curds are then pressed together into slabs, stacked on top of each other, and cut up again. This process is repeated to remove moisture and create the firm texture characteristic of cheddar cheese.
In traditional cheddaring, cheesemakers first add rennet to fresh milk to coagulate it. Once the curd has set, it is cut into small cubes using stainless steel wire knives. The curds are then cooked by adding hot water (up to 39°C or 102°F) and constantly stirred for even cooking. This cooking process takes between 20 and 60 minutes, and the pH of the whey should be slightly acidic, between 6.1 and 6.4.
The resulting cheese is then aged, with the length of time impacting the flavour. Some cheddars are aged for a few months, while others are aged for several years. The longer the cheddar is aged, the more intense the flavour becomes.
English goat cheddar, such as Billie's Goat's Cheddar from Ford Farm, is made using these traditional cheddaring techniques and 100% pure goat's milk. The use of traditional cheddaring techniques ensures a consistent texture and flavour in the final product.
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Goat cheese is also known as Chèvre, the French word for goat
Goat cheese is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours, textures, and types. It is commonly made using goat's milk, although some varieties are made with a mixture of goat's and cow's milk. Goat's milk has higher proportions of medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric acid, which contribute to the characteristic tart or "goaty" flavour of the cheese. It also has health benefits, including being a good source of intestinal bacteria and having anti-inflammatory properties. Goat cheese is also known as Chèvre, the French word for goat, and is produced in many different countries, including France, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Chèvre is a general term for traditional French goat's cheese, which can vary in age, mould, and rind. It is often soft and creamy, with a fruity taste, and is sometimes served hot as chèvre chaud. Other types of goat cheese include Finnish squeaky cheese, Mexican Añejo cheese, Norwegian Brunost cheese, and Spanish Majorero cheese.
In the United Kingdom, goat's cheese is produced in both a cheddar style and a mild, savoury, firm style. Billie's Goat's Cheddar from Ford Farm is an example of English goat's cheddar, made using traditional cheddaring techniques and 100% pure goat's milk. This style of goat cheese is suitable for vegetarians, as it is made with vegetarian rennet.
Goat cheese can be paired with various drinks, such as dark stout, gin and tonic, sweet white wine, cocktails, sparkling wines, and beer. It is a versatile cheese that can be used in many different dishes and is a good choice for people with lactose intolerance due to its relatively low lactose content.
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It has a distinctive goaty tang
Goat cheese, often called Chèvre, meaning "goat" in French, is a versatile cheese with a wide range of flavours, textures, and types. It is made like other cheeses, by filtering the milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent, moulding, and separating the cheese from the whey. The curds are then moulded, dried, flavoured, and cured.
Goat's milk cheddar is a variety of goat cheese with a distinctive goaty tang. It is made using traditional cheddaring techniques and 100% pure goat's milk. It has a sharp and fruity flavour, but the tang of the goat's milk softens with maturation, giving way to subtle hints of rural mushroom and rich cream.
English goat's milk cheddar, such as Billie's Goat's Cheddar from Ford Farm, is a mild and mellow variety of goat cheese. It is suitable for vegetarians, as it is made with vegetarian rennet and dairy cultures.
Goat cheese has a relatively low lactose content, making it an excellent choice for people with lactose intolerance. Its distinctive character comes from capric acid, a flavorful fatty acid that promotes the development of good intestinal bacteria in humans. It is also sold as a health food product.
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It is a good choice for those with lactose intolerance
English goat cheddar is made from 100% goat's milk using traditional cheddaring techniques. It is a good choice for those with lactose intolerance because it is lower in lactose than cow's milk, making it easier to digest.
Goat's milk is lower in lactose than cow's milk, and the cheese made from it has a higher concentration of short-chain fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation in the gut. Goat cheese is also a good source of probiotics, which can improve gut health by restoring the balance of "good" bacteria in the digestive system.
For those with lactose intolerance, it is still possible to eat foods with lactose in moderation. The key is to know your limit and keep a food diary to understand how different foods affect you. Lactose-free milk, for example, has the same amount of calcium as regular milk but without the lactose.
Harder cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan are fine for people with lactose intolerance because the enzymes used in the cheese-making process break down lactose over time. So, after the six months it takes to make an aged cheese, there is very little lactose left.
If you are unsure about how much dairy you can add to your diet, it is recommended that you see a gastroenterologist, who can give you a lactose intolerance test to determine the severity of your condition.
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Frequently asked questions
English goat cheddar cheese is a type of cheese made from 100% goat's milk using traditional cheddaring techniques.
It has a mild, savoury and firm flavour. It is sharp and fruity but with a distinctive goaty tang.
Goat cheese is made by filtering milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent, moulding, separating from the whey, and then drying, flavouring and curing.
Other types of goat cheese include gouda, manchego, brie, and tomme.
