Kamil Perry
Parmesan cheese is a hard Italian cheese with a brittle rind and granular texture. It is traditionally made from cow's milk, but goat Parmesan is also available. Goat's milk cheese is produced using milk from domestic goats and is used to make a variety of cultured dairy products, including cheese. While goat's milk cheese can be crumbly, buttery, and mellow, with hints of lemon, Parmesan cheese is known for its strong flavour and granular texture.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Parmesan Cheese | Made from cow's milk |
| Can be substituted with goat's milk | |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | Made from cow's milk |
| Can be substituted with goat's milk | |
| Goat Cheese | Made from goat's milk |
| White and crumbly | |
| Can be buttery and mellow with hints of lemon |
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What You'll Learn
Parmesan is usually made from cow's milk
Parmesan, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, is a hard Italian cheese with a strong flavour and granular texture. While there are similar cheeses made from goat's milk, traditional Parmesan is usually made from cow's milk.
The name "Parmigiano-Reggiano" is protected by law, and true Parmesan cheese can only be made in a specific region of Italy. This means that any cheese labelled simply as "Parmesan" is not true Parmigiano-Reggiano. These cheeses are often made from cow's milk and have a hard and brittle rind, but they are not the real deal.
There are several other hard Italian cheeses that are similar to Parmesan, including Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, and Gran Capra. These cheeses are made from different types of milk, such as sheep's milk or goat's milk, and have distinct tastes and textures. For example, Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk and has a strong, salty flavour, while Gran Capra is made from goat's milk.
Goat's milk cheeses tend to have a more subtle and mellow flavour than cow's milk cheeses, especially as they age. Young goat's milk cheeses can be quite intense and tangy, with a crumbly texture. As they age, they become more buttery and mellow, with hints of lemon.
While Parmesan is traditionally made from cow's milk, some people do make it with goat's milk. This can be a good option for those who are intolerant to cow's milk or simply looking for a different flavour. However, finding a non-cow's milk substitute for Parmesan can be difficult, as most similar cheeses, like Grana Padano, are also made from cow's milk.
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Goat's milk is used to make goat cheese
Goat's milk is commonly used to make goat cheese, also known as "chèvre". Goat cheese is produced using the milk of domestic goats and is often used to make cultured dairy products, including cheese. Goat milk cheeses are produced around the world and can be found in various forms, from firm and aged to soft and crumbly.
Goat cheese made from goat's milk has a distinct flavour and texture compared to cheeses made from cow's milk. While cow's milk cheeses tend to become more pungent and intense as they age, goat milk cheeses become more approachable and mellow. They can be buttery, with hints of lemon, nut skins, or cooked milk, offering a subtler flavour profile than their younger counterparts.
One popular example of goat cheese is French Loire Valley cheeses, which are often unaged and sprinkled with ash. These cheeses have a developed rind and can age for up to eight weeks, resulting in piquant black walnutty flavours. However, when fresh, they are drippily spreadable with a lemony tang.
Another variety is goat Brie, which is a French take on the classic cow's milk cheese. Goat Brie is even milder than its cow milk counterpart, with a sweet and delicate flavour and a slight undercurrent of citrus tang. It has a remarkably thin rind and a creamy paste inside.
While Parmesan cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk, some people do make and consume "goat Parmesan". This variety is a good substitute for those who are intolerant of cow's milk and offers a similar taste experience without the goaty flavour.
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Goat cheese is white and crumbly
Goat cheese, or Chèvre in French, is made from goat's milk and comes in a variety of flavours and textures. It can be white, coated with ash or herbs, or wrapped in grape leaves. The texture can be crumbly, creamy, or spreadable, and the flavour can be earthy, tangy, or bitter. Goat cheese is a good choice for people with lactose intolerance, as it has a relatively low lactose content.
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, and Grana Padano are all hard, aged Italian cheeses that look similar but have distinct tastes. While Parmigiano-Reggiano is often regarded as the "real-deal" Italian cheese, what is labelled as "Parmesan" in stores may be any cow's milk cheese with a hard and brittle rind and a granular texture.
Pecorino Romano, another hard Italian cheese, is made from sheep's milk and is known for its salty taste. Gran Capra, on the other hand, is a goat's milk cheese that is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano. These cheeses are all part of the grana family, known for their hard and granular characteristics.
Therefore, while goat cheese can be white and crumbly, it is distinct from Parmesan cheese, which is typically made from cow's milk. Goat cheese has a different flavour profile and texture, offering a unique sensory experience compared to Parmesan.
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Parmesan is a hard Italian cheese
Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is a hard Italian cheese. It is produced from cow's milk and is usually aged for at least 12 months, although some varieties are aged for longer. The cheese is named after two of the areas that produce it: the Italian provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia. It is also produced in the western part of Bologna, Modena, and Mantua on the south bank of the River Po.
Parmigiano Reggiano is a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese, which means that under Italian and European law, the names Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan can only be used for cheeses produced in these specific provinces. The Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, or the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium, was founded in 1928 and is responsible for setting and enforcing the standards for PDO as well as sponsoring marketing activities.
The process of making Parmesan cheese involves mixing the whole milk from the morning milking with the naturally skimmed milk from the previous evening's milking, resulting in a part-skim mixture. The cheese is then aged, giving it a hard and granular texture that is ideal for grating. In fact, Parmesan is often sold already grated, especially in the United States, where it has been a popular ingredient since Kraft Foods started selling it in 1945.
While Parmesan is typically made from cow's milk, there are other Italian cheeses that are made from goat's milk, such as Gran Capra, which is also a hard, grana cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano. These cheeses are protected by European laws that ensure the quality and authenticity of the products.
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Goat cheese has a tangy, lemony flavour
Goat cheese is produced using goat milk, the milk of domestic goats. Goat milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products, including cheese. Myriad goat milk cheeses are produced around the world.
The flavour of goat cheese can vary depending on the type of goat milk used and the production process. For example, French Loire Valley cheeses are often unaged, sprinkled with ash, and have a fresh, drippily spreadable texture with a bare background of lemony tang. On the other hand, Garrotxa, a dense and aged Spanish goat cheese, has a softer lemony tang with impressions of toasted hazelnuts.
It's important to note that not all goat cheeses have a strong lemony flavour. Some, like Humboldt Fog, have a saltier and less acidic flavour without the animal notes commonly associated with goat cheese.
While Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano are all hard Italian cheeses that look similar, they have distinct tastes. Pecorino Romano, for example, is made from sheep's milk and has a stronger and saltier taste compared to Parmigiano Reggiano. However, it's worth noting that what is labelled as "Romano" can be made with cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk, or a mix of milks, according to the FDA.
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Frequently asked questions
Parmesan is a hard Italian cheese with a strong flavour. It is typically made from cow's milk and aged for at least ten months.
Goat cheese, also known as chèvre, is a type of cheese made from goat's milk. It can be fresh or aged, with younger varieties being more piquant and goaty, while older ones tend to be more mellow and buttery.
While traditional Parmesan cheese is made with cow's milk, it is possible to make a similar cheese using goat milk. Some people choose to do this due to dietary restrictions or personal preferences.
Parmesan and goat cheese have distinct flavours and textures. Parmesan is known for its strong, salty taste and hard, brittle texture, while goat cheese can range from tangy and crumbly to mellow and buttery, depending on its age.
Yes, there are a few alternatives to Parmesan cheese that are not made from cow's milk. Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese, is a popular substitute that can be used in similar ways to Parmesan. Reggianito, an Argentinian cheese, is another option that is often sold as Parmesan in the US.
