Andy Montoya
Goat's milk is commonly used to make soft cheese. While goat cheese, or chèvre, is the most well-known, there are many other types of soft goat's milk cheeses produced around the world. Soft goat's milk cheese is popular because goat's milk is less fatty than cow's milk, which means it is better suited to making softer cheeses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common names | Goat cheese, chèvre |
| Texture | Soft, creamy, crumbly, smooth, slippery, floppy, sticky, runny, firm, aged, fresh, semi-soft, dry |
| Flavor | Sour cream, citrus, fruity, sweet cream, lemon, salty, tart, nutty, earthy, buttery, barnyard-y, game-y |
| Aroma | Yogurt, mold, bread dough, yeast, stone fruit, chalky, mild |
| Origin | France, Canada, Italy, Japan, Middle East, Greece, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Armenia, Philippines |
| Examples | Chevre D'Argental, Woolwich, Banon, Bucheron, Cabécou, Cathare, Chabis, Chaubier, Chavroux, Chabichou, Chevrotin, Clochette, Couronne Lochoise, Crottin de Chavignol, Faisselle, Montr, Yagi, Kesong puti, Jibneh Arabieh, Labneh, Nabulsi, Anthotyros, Manouri, Formaela, Añejo, Brunost, Majorero, Nababbo, Humboldt Fog |
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What You'll Learn
Goat milk has less fat than cow's milk, so it is better suited to soft cheeses
Goat's milk has a range of benefits over cow's milk, including improved digestibility, a lower risk of milk allergies, and better heart health. One of the most significant differences between the two types of milk is their fat content. Goat's milk has smaller fat globules than cow's milk, which makes it easier to digest. It is also naturally homogenized, meaning that it has a uniform consistency and the fat molecules are less likely to float to the top. This gives it a smoother, less lumpy texture compared to cow's milk.
In addition to having smaller fat globules, goat's milk also has a lower overall fat content than cow's milk. This difference in fat content has implications for cheese-making. Hard cheeses, such as those made from cow's milk, are almost all fat. With goat's milk, you get a diminished return on hard cheeses due to its lower fat content.
On the other hand, goat's milk is better suited for making soft cheeses. Soft cheeses allow for a higher milk content, which can be advantageous when using milk with a lower fat content like goat's milk. This higher milk content can result in a softer, powdery flavor that is characteristic of some goat milk cheeses.
There are a variety of soft cheeses made from goat's milk, including Chevre, a white and crumbly cheese that is often used in beet salads. Other examples include French Brie-like cheeses, which are made in the Rhône-Alpes and Poitou-Charentes regions of France, and Nababbo, an Italian cheese inspired by the traditional cow milk cheese Taleggio. These soft goat milk cheeses offer a range of flavors and textures, from buttery and rich to doughy and slightly tangy.
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Goat cheese, or chèvre, is white and crumbly
Goat cheese has a naturally tangier, fresher taste than cow's milk cheese. This is because the fat in goat's milk is different from that of a cow's. Goat cheese often has a barnyard-y aroma and a game-y flavour, which is part of its appeal for some eaters. Goat cheese is also usually less fatty than cow's milk cheese, which is why it is often used to make softer cheeses.
Chèvre is a soft, creamy, melt-in-the-mouth cheese that can have a fruity taste to it. It is usually covered in a light-coloured rind or skin. It is not aged for very long. It is sometimes served hot as chèvre chaud. Other types of goat cheese include Añejo, a firm, aged Mexican cheese; Majorero, a Spanish cheese similar to Manchego; and Brunost (known as Geitost when made with goat milk), a Norwegian brown goat cheese with a sweet flavour profile.
Goat cheese is made like other types of cheese. The milk is filtered to remove unwanted impurities or deposits, then a curdling agent is added, such as rennet, or one or more starter bacteria that affect the curd's size and eventually the cheese's consistency. The cheese is then moulded and separated from the whey (the uncurdled liquid part of the milk). The curds are then moulded, dried, flavoured, and cured. Any variations in this process—the type of starter, the time or pressure of the draining, the temperature and duration of the curing process—can change the texture (soft, semihard, hard) and the flavour.
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French goat's cheese tends to be buttery and rich
Goat cheese, or chèvre in French, is a versatile cheese that can be found on cheeseboards, in salads, tarts, and pizzas. It is also used in cultured dairy products, including cheese. Goat milk is commonly used to make cheese, and it has a lower fat content compared to cow's milk, making it more suitable for soft cheeses.
French goat cheeses tend to be buttery and rich. For instance, Raclette de Chèvre from Haute-Savoie, France, is a perfect melting cheese with a buttery and mild flavor and subtle meaty savoriness. It has hints of dark cocoa and a goaty finish. Another French goat cheese, Le Chevrot, has a nutty flavor and a sweet and mellow taste. It is covered in a wrinkly, brain-like rind, which is a characteristic of the yeast geotrichum.
French goat cheeses also include lactic acid–coagulated types, such as Bûcheron and crottin, which are sold fresh or lightly aged with bloomy rinds. These cheeses have a bold goat's milk flavor. Les Chèvr’apéros Chèvrerie des Daines from Haute-Savoie, Frangy, France, is another example of a fresh yet firm and crumbly French goat cheese with a strong goat's milk flavor.
In addition to the above, there are other French goat cheeses with unique characteristics. For example, Tomme de Chèvre de Savoie from Haute-Savoie, France, has a grey furry rind and a firm and smooth cream-colored paste. It has a sweet and tangy flavor with a mild goaty tang. Persillé d’Héry La Chèvrerie des Praz from Savoie, France, is an aged blue cheese with bold blue aromas and a chalky, veined paste surrounded by a rustic natural rind.
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Goat milk can be used to make hard cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda, and Manchego
Goat milk is commonly used to make cheese and other cultured dairy products. While goat cheese is usually thought of as a mild, soft cheese, it can also be used to make hard cheeses. The main factor that distinguishes soft and hard cheeses made from goat milk is the fat content of the milk. Goat milk is less fatty than cow milk, so it is more efficient to make softer cheese, where you can have a higher milk content. However, properly bred and cared for dairy goats can produce milk with plenty of butterfat for making hard cheeses.
Goat milk can be used to make hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, and Manchego. These are aged cheeses that can be made from goat milk as well as cow milk. Aged goat cheese is pressed hard for a minimum of 10 days, and as the moisture dries, the cheese gets harder. Compared to fresh, aged, or soft-ripened, goat cheese develops a more complex flavor profile over time. Depending on the recipe, it can range from nutty and earthy to rich and buttery.
Goat milk can also be used to make other hard cheeses such as Gruyere, Parmesan, and Brie. Goat Brie cheese is more subtle and refreshing than cow milk Brie. Cheddar goat cheese has a distinctive goaty tang, while goat Gouda, produced exclusively in Holland, is sweet and delicious, with caramel overtones.
Goat milk cheese, also known as "chèvre," is widely available in grocery stores and specialty cheese shops. It is usually white and crumbly, and often included in beet salads. Goat milk cheese has a naturally tangier, fresher taste than cow milk cheese. This tanginess is due to the different types of fat in goat and cow milk, which results in distinct cheese flavors.
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Some goat cheeses are aged and covered in edible ash
Goat's milk is commonly used to make soft cheese, and there are a variety of goat's milk cheeses produced around the world. Some goat cheeses are aged and covered in edible ash, a practice that dates back hundreds of years. Ash was originally used to protect the surface of young cheeses, and it was later discovered that it also improved the growth of surface moulds on fresh cheeses during the ripening process. The ash used to be made from burning grape vine clippings in France's Loire Valley, but today, it is typically replaced with activated charcoal mixed with salt.
The addition of ash to goat's milk cheese not only serves a functional purpose but also enhances the cheese's aesthetic appeal. The ripening process causes the cheese's surface to transform from a dark grey or black colour to a beautiful blue-grey or white bloom. The use of charcoal in the ash also helps to dry the surface of the cheese, resulting in a cleaner and quicker growth of mould.
Cheesemakers can experiment with different variations of ash application, such as adding an extra layer of ash midway through the moulding process or dusting a thin layer of charcoal without salt. The amount of ash on the cheese surface can be adjusted by varying the ratio of charcoal to salt in the mixture.
Goat's milk cheeses covered in edible ash, such as the traditional French Camembert, offer a unique sensory experience with their distinct appearance, texture, and aroma during the ripening process. The practice of ageing goat's milk cheese with edible ash adds complexity and character to the final product, making it a fascinating area of exploration for cheesemakers and enthusiasts alike.
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Frequently asked questions
Goat cheese refers to any cheese made from goat's milk.
Some examples of soft goat cheese include Chevre, Jibneh Arabieh, and Kesong puti.
Goat cheese has a naturally tangier and fresher taste than cow cheese. The fat in goat's milk differs from that in cow's milk, resulting in distinct cheese flavors. Goat cheese also tends to have a lower fat content than cow cheese.
Goat cheese is made by filtering the milk to remove impurities, adding a curdling agent, molding the cheese, and separating it from the whey. The curds are then molded, dried, flavored, and cured.
Yes, goat milk can be used to make a variety of cheeses, including hard cheeses such as Gouda, Cheddar, and Manchego. However, due to the lower fat content of goat milk, harder cheeses may have a diminished yield compared to softer cheeses.
