I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens. Isaac Bashevis Singer, quoted in You Said a Mouthful edited by Ronald D. Fuchs
Goat's Milk Cheeses
There has been a renewed interest in goat's milk cheese recently. Prior to 1970, goat's milk cheese was considered to be ordinary and common. Goat milk's cheese is made in France, south of the Loire.
Finding its historical origins in goats raised by the Moors during the 8th century, their descendants have settled in the Loire Valley and Poitou. Made from goats raised in Picodon, Rocamadour or Chabichou du Poitou these delectable cheeses are as tasty to the tongue as the sound of their names are wonderful to the ear. But the French hardly have a monopoly.
Mat, a fresh cheese from the Catalan regions of Spain is just as delightful as the French version across the border. Castelo Branco is a type made from Portuguese goat's milk, while pantysgawn hails from Wales. Even the vaunted Greek halloumi is a match for any French chvre. ('Chvre' is French for 'goat'.)
Whatever the origin, goat's milk cheeses have some distinctive characteristics. Though both goat's and cow's milk have about the same percentage of fat content, the former has more caproic and capric acid (types of fatty acids) than the latter. This gives goat's milk, and hence the cheese, its sharp, tangy flavor.
The final product ranges from fresh to blue veined, with natural mold on the rind. The best are produced between March and November, during the period when young goats are weaned. It typically takes only a few weeks at most to produce a wonderful fresh goat cheese, and they are intended to be consumed right away.
Most form cheeses in which the pate is soft, and makes for a delicious treat when heated and spread onto a tasty Baguette. Aging will produce a harder cheese, ranging from semi-hard to brittle. The rind will then often acquire a bluish mold as the cheese ages.
They may come plain, with that delightfully pure disctinctive flavor or they may be produced with added herbs or peppers, making for a zingy option. Some are soaked in olive oil, producing a wonderful mixture of tastes. Even the shape can influence the flavor, with all manner of pyramid, wheel and Bonde used.
A fine choice is the Crottin de Chavignol from the milk of alpine goats. Fresh from the vat, laced with fresh herbs, this is a golden blend of taste and nutrition. Or, you can acquire it at a more mature stage when it has hardened and assumed a more robust flavor. Both are excellent.
Picodon de Chvre is a wonderful cheese with a strong aroma made in France. This goat's milk cheese comes from the Ardche and Drme regions. Following the wine model, the French have an Appellation d'Origine Contrle authentication system certifies that the cheese comes from the labeled region.
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