Patrick Oconnell
Goat cheese, also known as chèvre, is made from goat's milk and is a popular ingredient in the culinary world. It is known for its tangy, fresh taste and crumbly texture. There are several types of goat cheese, including fresh and aged varieties, with differences in flavour and texture depending on the production process and region. For instance, goat cheese from France and Canada tends to have a sweet cream and lemon flavour, while those from the Loire Valley in France have a yeasty, wet hay aroma. Aged goat cheeses, such as Midnight Moon and Lamb Chopper, have firmer textures and more complex flavours, while fresh goat cheeses like Humboldt Fog and Truffle Tremor offer a luxurious softness and tangy notes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| General type | Goat cheese |
| Other names | Chèvre, goat's milk cheese |
| Milk source | Goat |
| Taste | Tangy, fresh, nutty, earthy, rich, buttery, sweet, delicate, savoury, spicy, creamy, milky, balanced, citrusy, lemony |
| Texture | Soft, spreadable, crumbly, creamy, fluffy, gooey, firm, hard, flaky, flaky |
| Age | Fresh, aged |
| Rind | Yes, can be mushroomy |
| Colour | White, foggy grey |
| Country of origin | France, Canada, Italy, Norway, Spain, Mexico, US |
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What You'll Learn
Fresh goat cheese
Goat Gouda with Fenugreek is another variety of fresh goat's milk cheese. This Dutch cheese has a light and creamy texture with added fenugreek seeds, giving it a nutty and savoury flavour.
Rachel is a goat's cheese produced by the White Lake Cheese Company at Bagborough Farm in Pylle, Somerset. It is made from unpasteurised milk sourced from their own herd of Toggenburg, British Alpine, and Saanen goats. Rachel is a rindless goat's log with a smooth texture and a gentle citrusy aroma. It has a balanced lactic acidity and sweet flavours, making it ideal for pairing with crusty bread and a glass of cold white wine.
To make fresh goat cheese at home, you will need full-fat goat's milk, preferably pasteurised or fresh from a farmer. Avoid ultra-pasteurised milk as it does not form curds as well. Other ingredients include lemon juice or white vinegar, and kosher or cheese salt. The curds and whey will not separate in the same way as whole milk, so be sure to follow specific instructions for goat cheese. After forming and chilling the cheese, it can be frozen in small packages for a few months. However, the texture may become more crumbly, and it is best suited for cooked dishes.
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Aged goat cheese
One example of aged goat cheese is Garrotxa, a Spanish cheese with a dense and moist texture. The aging process softens the expected lemony tang of goat milk, leaving impressions of toasted hazelnuts and their skins. The cheese has a plush, soft rind and a delicate tang, making it a well-balanced and remarkable flavour.
Another aged goat cheese is the French Loire Valley cheese, Bonne Bouche. This cheese uses ash, resulting in a foggy grey colour and a distinctive geo rind. Bonne Bouche can age for up to eight weeks, developing piquant black walnutty flavours. However, it is usually spreadable with a drippy texture.
In New York City, Murray's Cheese offers cave-aged goat cheese crafted by a team of talented affineurs. These cheeses are carefully matured with minimal intervention, resulting in unique, premium products.
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Goat cheese brie
Goat cheese, or chèvre, is a type of cheese made from goat's milk. It is produced using goat milk, the milk of domestic goats, and has a higher content of fatty acids, making it more easily digestible than cheese made from cow's milk. Goats' milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products, and there are many varieties of goat milk cheeses made around the world.
One type of goat cheese is goat cheese brie, also known as goat milk brie or chèvre briette. Brie is a style of white bloomy rind cheese with a creamy texture and savory notes that range from buttery to mushroomy. Goat cheese brie is an American twist on the traditional French cow's milk cheese. It is made by turning fresh, local goat milk into curd, cutting it, and pouring it into molds to drain, retaining as much moisture as possible. After 9-14 days of aging, goat cheese brie develops a thin, bloomy rind and a velvety, oozy texture. The flavor is mild with grassy and nutty notes balanced by hints of lemon.
While brie typically refers to a specific style of cheese made from cow's milk in the Brie region near Paris, some companies market their goat's milk cheeses as "brie." These cheeses are brie-esque, resembling the size and shape of traditional brie but made with goat's milk. There are hundreds of varieties of bloomy rind goat's milk cheeses, both lactic set and rennet set, that offer unique textures and flavor profiles.
Some brands that sell goat cheese brie include Aldi, Murray's Cheese, and Northbay Creameries. Goat cheese brie can be enjoyed on a cheese board, grilled for salads and tarts, or paired with crusty bread and a glass of bubbly or white wine.
In addition to goat cheese brie, other types of goat cheese include Ferme Chevre, Goat Gouda with Fenugreek, Dazel Ash, blue cheese, camembert, and gouda.
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Goat milk cheeses from different regions
Goat milk cheeses are produced all over the world, from Europe to North America, and they come in a variety of styles and flavours. Here is a selection of goat milk cheeses from different regions:
Europe
UK
The UK offers a range of goat milk cheeses, including Ferme Chevre, a classic French goat cheese with a distinctive mould-ripened white, soft, and bloomy rind. It has a slightly dense and crumbly texture that becomes velvety soft and creamy, with hints of caramel and subtle goaty notes. Another option is Dazel Ash, a springtime cheese named after an idyllic copse, Dazel Wood, located near the farm in the New Forest.
France
France is known for its Loire Valley cheeses, such as Selles-sur-Cher, a classic goat cheese often unaged and sprinkled with ash. Bonne Bouche is another French cheese with a sweet and mellow flavour and a foggy grey rind produced with yeast.
The Netherlands
Aged Gouda from the Netherlands is renowned for its crunchy, crystalline texture and butterscotch and bourbon flavours.
Spain
Spain produces the semi-firm Drunken Goat cheese, which is soaked in wine, giving it a mild, smooth, and fruity flavour with a violet rind. Another Spanish variety is Majorero, similar to Manchego and protected under European Law with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
North America
USA
The USA offers a range of goat milk cheeses, including those produced by Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign, Illinois, and Firefly Farms in Maryland. Northern California cooks in the '80s popularized the use of goat cheese in beet salads.
Mexico
Mexico is known for Añejo cheese, a firm, aged variety traditionally made from skimmed goat's milk but often available made with skimmed cow's milk.
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Semi-firm goat cheese
Goat's cheese is made from goat's milk and comes in a variety of styles, from soft and fresh to hard and aged. One type of goat's cheese is semi-firm, which includes the Bella Capra Semi-Soft Traditional Goat Cheese. This type of cheese is perfect for those who want a balance between a soft and hard cheese.
One example of a semi-firm goat cheese is Ferme Chevre, a classic French goat's cheese. Ferme Chevre is matured for three weeks, allowing it to develop its characteristic mould-ripened rind and crumbly texture. As the cheese ages, the interior becomes velvety soft and creamy, starting from the rind and moving towards the centre. Flavour-wise, Ferme Chevre has a tangy taste with hints of caramel and subtle goaty notes.
Another option for a semi-firm goat cheese is Le Chevrot, a mould/yeast-ripened cheese from the Netherlands. Le Chevrot has a sweet and mellow flavour with nutty undertones and a tang from its snow-white centre. Its texture is described as firm yet velvety, and its aroma is reminiscent of juicy fruit gum and butter pecan ice cream.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many types of goat cheese, including fresh goat cheese, aged goat cheese, soft-ripened goat cheese, and blue goat cheese. Fresh goat cheese, also known as chèvre, is the most popular type sold in the US. It is known for its creamy texture and tangy taste. Aged goat cheese, on the other hand, has a more complex flavor profile, ranging from nutty and earthy to rich and buttery.
Some examples of fresh goat cheese include chevre d'Argental and Woolwich, which are French Brie-like cheeses made of goat milk.
Some examples of aged goat cheese include Midnight Moon, known for its nutty richness, and Lamb Chopper, which has a bold, tangy profile. Other types of cheese, such as Gouda, cheddar, and manchego, can also be made from goat milk instead of cow milk.
