Goat’s milk cheeses can be delicate, robust and everything in-between but most are notable for their underlying sweetness. Did you know that most people find goat’s milk cheeses easier to digest than cow’s milk cheeses? Whether you are new to the joy of goat’s milk cheeses or you are a long-time fan, we have a goat cheese that is sure to please.
France has been leading the way in production of goat’s milk cheeses for centuries but the United States has created its own cheeses that definitely compete. Not to be left out is Portugal where goats thrive on the rugged landscape and the artisan cheesemakers create special cheeses that are just now making their way to the U.S. But no matter where they come from, these wonderful cheeses are out to prove that there is more to goat’s cheese than something to be crumbled on a salad. So step on out of the ordinary and try a cheese rolled in herbs or paprika or sprinkled with ash! We promise that you will never forget it!
Chevre Du Poitou
Qu'est-ce que c'est? Goat camembert, that's what it is. Beneath the white, bloomy rind is a creamy paste of pure, white, goat's milk. Sweet, grassy, and earthy. Makes a nice breakfast cheese. Pasteurized; made in Celles-sur-Belle, Poitou (France) by Sevre & Belle.
Carre du Berry
A beautiful addition to a cheese plate, this young chèvre is lavishly covered with a blend of fresh herbs, peppercorns, and juniper berries. As the cheese ages, the herbs dry, imparting intriguing floral notes to the paste, complementing its tangy creaminess. We do not recommended you eat the herbs; rather, we encourage you to enjoy the lovely cheese beneath! Made of pasteurized goat’s milk in Berry, in the Poitou region of France.
Humboldt Fog
One of America's most popular goat cheeses is named for the thick, pea-soup fog that rolls in from the Northern California coast, where Mary Keehn makes this cheese. A tall wheel of pale, flaky paste is bisected by a line of vegetable ash and covered with a bloomy rind. Creamy, lemony, and tangy, with none of the offensive "goaty-ness" found in some goat cheeses. Pasteurized and suitable for vegetarians. From The Cypress Grove Cheese Company.
Vallee d’Aspe Chevre
From the French Pyrenees - land of aged sheep's cheeses - comes this aged goat's milk tomme. This raw milk goat cheese is made at the farm where the 100% untreated milk is collected. In the summer, the cheese is still made in the “cayolar” (the shepherd’s mountain hut), just at they have been for the last 1000 years in the Bearnais and the Basque Mountains. Aged for three months, this cheese is gentle and fairly straightforward, it is lightly sweet and nutty, with a semi-firm, oily paste and a rustic natural rind. A rare treasure.
Queijo de Cabra Pimentao
An aged goat wheel, its rind rubbed with paprika, giving it a handsome, ruddy appearance. One of the cheeses that proves you don't have to be strong to be nuanced and delicious: fairly gentle, it's woodsy, rustic, and nutty, with a light smoky note from the paprika and a sweet tang at the end, fading into a clean finish. Pasteurized.
Very informative. I especially love Humboldt Fog.
Posted by: L. Kundell | August 16, 2009 at 10:33 AM