Chèvre cheese
Encyclopedia
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
made out of the milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
of goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s.
Properties
Although cow's milk and goat's milk have similar overall fat contents, the higher proportion of medium-chain fatty acidFatty acid
In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...
s such as caproic
Hexanoic acid
Hexanoic acid , is the carboxylic acid derived from hexane with the general formula C5H11COOH. It is a colorless oily liquid with an odor that is fatty, cheesy, waxy, and like that of goats or other barnyard animals...
, caprylic
Caprylic acid
Caprylic acid is the common name for the eight-carbon saturated fatty acid known by the systematic name octanoic acid. It is found naturally in the milk of various mammals, and it is a minor constituent of coconut oil and palm kernel oil...
and capric acid
Decanoic acid
Decanoic acid, or capric acid, is a saturated fatty acid.Its formula is CH38COOH. Salts and esters of decanoic acid are called decanoates...
in goat's milk contributes to the characteristic tart flavor of goat's milk cheese. (These fatty acids take their name from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for goat, capra.)
When chèvre is served hot, it is known as chèvre chaud
Chèvre chaud
Chèvre chaud is a French dish, consisting of Chèvre cheese served hot. It is usually made by broiling the Chèvre cheese on French bread, and is often served with a green salad, and accompanied by vinaigrette, olive oil or balsamic vinegar....
.
Goat milk is often consumed by young children, the elderly, those who are ill, or have a low tolerance to cow's milk. Goat milk is more similar to human milk than that of the cow, although there is large variation among breeds in both animals. Although the West has popularized the cow, goat milk and goat cheese are preferred dairy products in much of the rest of the world. Because goat cheese is often made in areas where refrigeration is limited, aged goat cheeses are often heavily treated with salt to prevent decay. As a result, salt has become associated with the flavor of goat cheese, especially in the case of the heavily brined feta
Feta
Feta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads Feta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese,...
.
Goat cheese has been made for thousands of years, and was probably one of the earliest made dairy products. In the most simple form, goat cheese is made by allowing raw milk to naturally curdle, and then draining and pressing the curds. Other techniques use an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) or rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
to coagulate the milk. Soft goat cheeses are made in kitchens all over the world, with cooks hanging bundles of cheesecloth filled with curds in the warm kitchen for several days to drain and cure. If the cheese is to be aged, it is often brined so it will form a rind, and then stored in a cool cheese cave for several months to cure.
Goat cheese softens when exposed to heat, although it does not melt in the same way many cow cheeses do. Firmer goat cheeses with rinds are sometimes baked in an oven to form a gooey, warm cheese, which is ideal for spreading on bread with roasted garlic, or alone.
France
France produces a great number of goat's milk cheeses, especially in the Loire ValleyLoire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
and Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, where goats are said to have been brought by the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
in the 8th century. Examples of French chèvres include Bucheron
Bucheron
Bûcheron is a goat's milk cheese native to the Loire Valley in France. Semi-aged, ripening for 5 to 10 weeks, Bucheron is produced as short logs that are sliced and sold as small rounds in food stores.Bûcheron has an ivory-colored pâte surrounded by a bloomy white rind...
, Chabis
Chabis
Chabis is a French cheese with a delicate flavour and a texture that becomes firmer as it matures.Chabis is a soft cheese produced without heating or pressing, using goat's milk...
, Clochette, Couronne Lochoise
Couronne Lochoise
Couronne Lochoise is a soft and creamy raw goat's milk cheese originating in the farmlands of the Loches area of Touraine in the Loire Valley, France. Its name literally translates to "Crown of Loches", which references its doughnut shape. Its texture and taste resembles that of buttered...
, Crottin de Chavignol
Crottin de Chavignol
Crottin de Chavignol is the most famous goat cheese of the many varieties produced in the Loire Valley. This cheese is the claim to fame for the village of Chavignol, France, which has only two hundred inhabitants.-History:...
(largest produced goat cheese AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
), Pélardon
Pélardon
Pélardon, formerly called paraldon, pélardou and also péraudou, is a French cheese from the Cévennes range of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is a traditional cheese made from goat's milk. It is round soft-ripened cheese covered in a white mold weighing approximately 60 grams, with a...
, Picodon
Picodon
Picodon is a goats-milk cheese made in the region around the Rhône river in southern France. The name means "spicy" in Occitan.The cheese itself comes in a number of varieties, each small, flat and circular in shape varying from speckled white to golden in colour...
, Pouligny Saint-Pierre, Rocamadour
Rocamadour (cheese)
Rocamadour is a French cheese from the regions of Périgord and Quercy. It takes its name from the commune of Rocamadour in the département of Lot. It has benefited from an Appellation d'origine contrôlée since 1996...
, Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a French cheese produced in the region of Touraine, mainly in the department of Indre-et-Loire. It is named after the small town of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, at equal distance from westly Chinon and eastly Loches.Sainte-Maure de...
, Chabichou
Chabichou
Chabichou is a traditional soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French goat cheese with a firm and creamy texture.Chabichou is aged for 10 to 20 days.-History:...
du Poitou, Valençay
Valençay (cheese)
Valençay is a cheese made in the province of Berry in central France. Its name is derived from the town of Valençay in the Indre department....
, and Pyramide.
Spain and Portugal
- MatóMató cheeseMató is a Catalan fresh cheese made from cows' or goats' milk, with no salt added. It is usually served with honey, as a dessert.It is quite similar to non-industrial variants of Italian ricotta, brull , brossat , brocciu , curd cheese, or Caleb Yoon.The mató from Montserrat mountain is...
is a CatalanCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
fresh cheese made from cow's or goat's milk. Patacabra ( foot of the goat), - Castelo BrancoCastelo Branco cheeseCastelo Branco is a cheese named after the city of the same name in Portugal, the chief city of the district where it is produced. The cheese is made from milk produced by either a goat or a ewe, and has a soft texture. Typically, the cheese takes 40 days to mature when made with goat's milk, and...
is a PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
goat's milk cheese.
United Kingdom
- PantysgawnPantysgawnPantysgawn is a Welsh cheese made from goat's milk. It's sold in logs of 150 g or 1 kg. It has a high moisture content and limited shelf life....
is a WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
goat's milk cheese, and gevrikGevrikGevrik is a soft, full-fat goat's milk cheese produced in Trevarrian near Mewquay on the north Cornish coast, in the southwest of Great Britain. The name means "little goat" in Cornish. Its flavour has been described as "fresh [and] mellow" or "clean, fresh [and] nutty"....
is a CornishCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
goat's milk cheese (literally meaning 'little goat').
United States
- Kunik is a goat and Jersey cow blend, mold-ripened with similar properties to Brie. It is produced in Thurman, NY by Nettle Meadow.
"The Wheel" coach farms triple creme goats milk from NY
Greece
- GreekGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
feta, mizithraMizithra cheeseMizithra is a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese made with milk and whey from sheep and/or goats. The ratio of milk to whey usually is 7 to 3.It is, mainly, produced on the island of Crete but other areas in Greece also produce it....
and anthotyrosAnthotyros cheeseAnthotyros , is a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese. There are two types of Anthotyros , the Dry Anthotyros and the Fresh Anthotyros. The Dry Anthotyros is matured variant of Mizithra. Anthotyros's name means "flower cheese" in Greek. It is made with milk and whey from sheep and/or goats...
are traditionally made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. In Greece, goat cheese has a very long history; in the OdysseyOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
refers to a woman stirring wine with goat cheese to reduce the acidity of the wine.
many mixed milked sheep and goat's milk fetas
Norway
- BrunostBrunostBrunost , or mesost , mysuostur or myseost is a brown Scandinavian whey cheese. The Norwegian name brunost means brown cheese, and the others mean simply whey cheese...
, which literally means brown cheese, is made in Norway. It is often sold in the USA under the name Gjetost (goat cheese).
China
- Rubing is a fresh goat cheese from Yunnan Province, resembling the Indian paneerPaneerPaneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called Chhena...
.
Australia
- Buche Noir is a fresh pressed goats curd covered in fine vine ash from the Sydney region.
Venezuela
- In VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, specifically in the states of Falcón, Lara and the population of San Jose de Turgua in Miranda state, goat cheese is produced using traditional methods, may have several types, the most common is Pasta Firme.
External links
- Goat Dairy Foods from the University of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisThe University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
Dairy Research and Information Center - Article comparing sheep's milk to cow's milk and goat's milk
- La Chèvre : dairy goat journal
- Goat Milk - Composition, physico-chemical and medicinal properties
- Goat cheese - properties
- Traditional chevre, from France : A write-up on the Loire River Valley region in France and the quality of its chèvre