Goat cheese,goat's cheese orchèvre (/ˈʃɛv(rə)/SHEV(-rə); from theFrenchfromage de chèvre[fʁɔmaʒdəʃɛvʁ] with the same meaning)[1] ischeese made fromgoat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food.[2] Goat cheese is made around the world with a variety of recipes, giving many different styles of cheeses, from fresh and soft to aged and hard.[3]
Goats produce high-quality, nutrient-rich milk under even the most difficult environments, making them valuable to arid or mountainous areas where cattle and sheep cannot survive.[4] In addition, like all animal products, goat milk is heavily influenced by what the goats are eating. Because goats have hardy digestive systems, they tend to eat many bitter plants that more delicate animals such as cows and horses will not.[5] Goats were one of the earliest animals domesticated to suit human needs—more specifically milk production—going back to 8,000 BC, 10,000 years ago.[2] Goat cheese has been made at least as far back as 5,000 BC;[6] the first documented proof of humans making cheese of any kind dates to 7,500 years ago in Poland.
Goat milk has higher proportions of medium-chainfatty acids, such ascaproic andcaprylic, which contribute to the characteristic tart/"goat" flavor of the cheese.[7] They also make goat milk and cheeses more easily digestible.[8]
Goat milk, and therefore goat cheeses, contain anti-inflammatory enzymes, probiotics, antioxidants, proteins, and lipids and help maintain a healthy metabolism. These fatty acids take their name from theLatin for 'goat',capra.[9] They are also high in calcium, vitamins A and K, phosphorus, thiamin, and niacin.[4] Overall, the consumption of 60 grams (2.1 oz) per day of cheese (both control and enriched), within the context of a balanced hypocaloric diet and recommendations for physical activity, was effective for the reduction of body weight, body mass index and waist circumference.[10]
Goat cheese is made like other cheeses. The milk is filtered to remove unwanted impurities or deposits. A curdling starter agent is added, which can berennet, or one or more starter bacteria that affect the curds' size and eventually the cheese's consistency. Some examples of starters areLactococcus lactis lactis, L. l. cremoris, andStreptococcus thermophilus. Next, the cheese is molded and separated from thewhey (the uncurdled liquid part of the milk). The curds are then molded, dried, flavored, 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 flavor.[11]
Kesong puti cheese: Moisture content can also vary, ranging from almost gelatinous to pressed and firm. It can be eaten as is, paired with bread (usuallypandesal), or used in various dishes in Filipino cuisine.
Kesong puti is a Filipino soft, unaged, white cheese made from unskimmed carabao milk and salt curdled with vinegar, citrus juices, or sometimes rennet. It can also be made with goat or cow milk. It has a mild salty and tart flavor. When an acidifying agent is used, it resemblesqueso blanco orpaneer. When rennet is used, it resembles buffalo mozzarella. The name, also spelledquesong puti, isTagalog for "white cheese") and is its name in the provinces ofLaguna andBulacan. InCavite, it is known askesilyo(alsokasilyoorquesillo); while in northernCebu, it is known asqueseoorkiseyo.
Akkawi cheese (Arabic:جبنة عكاوي,romanized: jubna ʿakkāwī, also Akawi, Akawieh and Ackawi) is a white brine cheese named after the city of Akka (Acre, present-day Israel).[3]
Darfyieh is a flavorful cheese that comes specifically from baladi goats and is treated as a delicacy in Dargyieh.[3]
Djamid or Jameed is an unripened, hard cheese with a salt encrusted rind popular in Jordan and Syria.[3]
Jibneh Arabieh (Arabic:جبنة عربية) (also jibni) is a soft whitecheese found all over theMiddle East. It is particularly popular in thePersian Gulf region. The cheese has a mild taste similar tofeta but less salty. The heritage of the product started withBedouins usinggoat orsheep milk; however, current practice is to usecow's milk to make the cheese. Jibneh Arabieh is used for cooking, or simply as a table cheese.[3]
Labneh is consumed in many parts of the world. It is primarily produced in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan but also throughout much of the Middle-east. It can be served with olive-oil, or seasoned with mint, eaten with salad or as dessert.[3]
Nabulsi cheese Nabulsi or naboulsi is one of a number ofPalestinian white brinedcheeses made in theMiddle East andPalestine. Its name refers to its place of origin,Nablus and it is well known throughout theWest Bank and surrounding regions. Nabulsi, along withAkkawi cheese, is one of the principal cheeses consumed inJordan. It is produced primarily fromsheep milk; alternatively,goat's milk may be used.
Circassian cheese (Adyghe:адыгэ къуаеAdyghe pronunciation:[aːdəɣaqʷaːja],Russian:адыгейский сырadygeyskiy syr, is a cheese found across theNorth Caucasus, theLevant and other areas with aCircassian diaspora. The cheese is prepared with raw cow, sheep and/or goats milk (Adyghean cheese - only with cow milk) and molded into a wooden basket.
Circassian smoked cheese is a smoked low-fatCircassian cheese, especially produced in the easternMarmara region of Turkey. It is light yellow or cream-colored with a thick crust. After curdling and straining, the bottom and top of the cheese are salted and it is smoked with pinewood or thick pitch pine in smoking rooms. This process makes the cheese both more flavorful and more long-lasting.
Sirene cheese (Albanian:djathë i bardhë;Bulgarian:сирене[ˈsirɛnɛ];Macedonian:сирење;Serbian:сир/sir) also known as "white brine sirene" (Bulgarian:бяло саламурено сирене) is a type ofbrined cheese made in theBalkans (South-Eastern Europe), especially popular in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Romania, Albania, Greece and also in Israel and Lebanon. It is made of themilk of goats,sheep, orcows, or a mixture of these.
Leipäjuusto (bread cheese) or juustoleipä (Meänkieli:kahvijuusto;Swedish:kaffeost or brödost), also known in the United States as Finnish squeaky cheese, is a Finnish freshcheese traditionally made from cow'sbeestings, rich milk from a cow that has recently calved.Reindeer or evengoat milk can also be used. Commercially available versions are typically made from cow's milk, and they lack some of the colour and flavour because of this. The cheese originally comes fromSouthern Ostrobothnia, Northern Finland, andKainuu.
France produces a great number of goat milk cheeses, especially in theLoire Valley andPoitou.
Chevre is a soft, creamy, melt-in-mouth cheese that can have a fruity taste to it. It is usually covered in a light colored rind or skin. It is not aged for very long.[3] It is sometimes served hot aschèvre chaud.
Feta is made primarily of ewe's milk, with up to 30% of goat milk. Sheep (≥70%) and goat per PDO; similar cheeses may contain cow or buffalo milk.[3]
Mizithra or myzithra is a whey cheese which can be produced from the whey left over from goat cheeses. It is served either fresh or dried.[3]
Anthotyros (Greek:Ανθότυρος) or (Anthotyro in modern Greek, "flowery cheese") is a traditional freshcheese is a whey cheese using the whey fromKefalotyri orGraviera production and can be made from milk from goats, sheep or a combination. There are dry Anthotyros and fresh Anthotyros. Dry Anthotyros is a matured cheese similar toMizithra. Anthotyros is made with milk andwhey milk. It is served fresh or dried. Anthotyros is produced inGreece, commonly inThrace,Macedonia, theIonian Islands andCrete.[3]
Kasseri or Kaşar (Greek: κασέρι,Turkish: kaşar is a medium-hard or hard pale yellow cheese made from pasteurised or unpasteurisedsheep milk and at most 20%goat's milk. Kasseri is of semi-hard to hard consistency, smooth rather than crumbly, chewy, and with a hard rind. It belongs to thepasta filata family of cheeses, which includes fresh cheeses likemozzarella and aged ones likeProvolone orCaciocavallo. Kasseri is aprotected designation of origin, according to which the cheese must be made in the Greek provinces ofThessaly,Macedonia,Lesbos, orXanthi, but a similar type of cheese is found inTurkey,Romania, and theBalkans, where it is known askashkaval. The same cheese is made with cow's milk, but in that case it cannot be legally sold as kasseri in theEU and is instead sold under names that are particular to each producer.[3]
Kefalotyri or kefalotiri (Greek:κεφαλοτύρι,Turkish:talar peyniri) is a hard, salty whitecheese made fromsheep milk orgoat'smilk (or both) inGreece andCyprus. A similar cheeseKefalograviera, also made from sheep or goat milk (or both), is sometimes sold outside Greece and Cyprus as Kefalotyri. Depending on the mixture of milk used in the process the color can vary between yellow and white.[3]
Xynomizithra or xynomyzithra (Greek:Ξινομυζήθρα) is aGreekwhey cheese with some added milk; it is a sour variant ofMizithra, and made fromewes' and/orgoats' milk. The proportion of full-cream milk is about 15%.[3]
Xynotyro or Xynotyri is an unpasteurized whey cheese from Greece made from sheep's milk or goat's milk, with a hard and flaky consistency, a pungent aroma and a yogurt-like sweet and sour taste. "Xynotyri" means "sour cheese" in Greek. Traditionally, the cheese is drained and cured in reed baskets or allowed to mature in bags made of animal skin. Cow's milk is not utilized in the production.[3]
Salignon, a smoked cheese produced in the lowerAosta Valley
Mozzarella made of Italian Mediterranean buffalo traditionally; cattle cows in all 167 Italian regions; in some areas also sheep and goat
Ricotta is produced from the whey that from cheesemaking and whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses.Ricotta means 're-cooked', and is made by reheating the whey, until the clotted cheese curds rise to the top, where they are skimmed and molded.
Aġbejna is a small goat's- or sheep's-milk cheese. Various types are found which include; fresh (friski or tal-ilma), sundried (moxxa, bajda or ta' Għawdex), salt cured (maħsula), peppered (tal-bżar) and seasoned (imħawra).
Gbejna friska - a fresh cheeselet similar to ricotta in texture - native to Maltese Islands.
Gbejna tal bzar - same as above but aged and coated in black pepper - native to Maltese Islands.
Gbejna mghoxxa - same as the fresh cheeslet but left to air dry - native to Maltese Islands.
TheWesterkwartier, the region west of the city ofGroningen, has a relatively large concentration of organic goat-cheese farms. Well known goat cheeses from this region are Machedoux and Quiorio, brie-like cheeses served in restaurants all over the Netherlands and in Belgium and northern Germany. In other parts of the Netherlands, goat cheese is usually made in theGouda style.
Geitost, which meansgoat cheese, is brown and made from goat milk and whey. Other brown cheeses, such asBrunost ("Brown cheese"), may also be made from cow milk whey, goat milk whey or a combination.
Snøfrisk is a fresh goat milk cheese, often made with added flavorings.
Castelo Branco is aPortuguese goat milk cheese. Castelo Branco (Portuguese: Queijo de Castelo Branco) is acheese named after the city of thesame name in Portugal, the main city of thedistrict where it is produced. Since 1996 Castelo Branco cheese has had aProtected designation of origin (PDO), being one of the threeBeira Baixa cheeses (PDO) (Portuguese:Queijos da Beira Baixa DOP). The cheese is made fromgoat orsheep milk, and has a soft texture. Typically, the cheese takes 40 days to mature when made with goat's milk, and 50 days when made with ewe's milk. The fat content is around 45% and the cheese is usually a close-to-white colour.
Mató is aCatalan fresh cheese made fromcow's or goat's milk.
Garrotxa is a firm goat cheese originally fromGarrotxa in northern Catalonia.
Nevat, a soft-ripened goat cheese from Catalonia.
Cabrales cheese (Spanish: Queso de Cabrales) is ablue cheese made in theartisan tradition by ruraldairy farmers inAsturias,Spain. This cheese can be made from pure, unpasteurizedcow'smilk or blended in the traditional manner withgoat and/orsheep milk, which lends the cheese a stronger, spicier flavor. All of the milk used in the production of Cabrales must come exclusively from herds raised in a small zone of production inAsturias, in the mountains of thePicos de Europa.
Varieties of tulum, center "Otlu tulum peyniri", or Tulum with herbs, inAnkara
Tulum cheese is a goat cheese made inTurkey. (Turkish:tulum peyniri) is a traditionalTurkish goat cheese ripened in a goatskin casing, called tulum in Turkish. Due to its unique flavor, it is preferred asmeze torakı in Turkey.
Sepet cheese and Kaşar cheese are produced from goat milk and marketed as Goat Sepet cheese and Goat Kaşar cheese.
Sutdiyari 'white cheese' is a cheese produced from sheep, cow, or goat milk.
Beyaz peynir 'white cheese' is a brined cheese produced from sheep, cow, or goat milk.
Ezine Cheese, originating fromEzine, Çanakkale, is a type of Beyaz Peynir including at least 40% goat milk according to the geographical protection rules.[14]
Dolaz cheese is a traditional cheese produced from whey by nomad (Karakoyunlu, Hayta, Honamlı, SarıkeçiliYörüks) in the Lakes region (Isparta,Afyon andAntalya) inTurkey. It is generally made fromewe's andgoat's milk.
Van herbed cheese (Turkish:Van otlu peyniri) is a type ofcheese made out ofsheep's orcow's milk. Ripened cheese varieties containing herbs are traditional in Turkey and have been manufactured for more than 200 years in the east and southeast of the country.
Bryndza (fromRomanian brânză – cheese) is asheep milkcheese made across much of East-Central Europe, primarily in or around theCarpathian Mountains ofSlovakia,Ukraine,Romania and southernPoland.[15] Bryndza cheese is creamy white in appearance, known for its characteristic strong smell and taste. The cheese is white, tangy, crumbly and slightly moist. It has characteristic odor and flavor with a notable taste ofbutyric acid. The overall flavor sensation begins slightly mild, then goes strong and finally fades to a salty finish. Recipes differ slightly across countries. This cheese can also be made withgoat milk orcow milk.
Kunik is produced at Nettle Meadow Goat Farm in Thurman, New York, and made from goat and Jersey cow milk blend, mold-ripened with similar properties toBrie.
InVenezuela, specifically in the states ofFalcón,Lara and the population of San Jose de Turgua inMiranda state, many types of goat cheese are produced using traditional methods. A variety of artisanal cheeses are manufactured by smaller producers.[16]
Domiati cheese, also referred to as white cheese (Egyptian Arabic:جبنة بيضاgebna bēḍa[ˈɡebnæˈbeːdɑ]), is a soft white salty cheese made primarily inEgypt, but also inSudan and otherMiddle Eastern countries. Typically made from buffalo milk, cow milk, or a mixture, it can also be made from other milks, such as sheep, goat or camel milk. It is the most common Egyptian cheese. Unlike feta and other white cheeses, salt is added directly to the milk, before rennet is added. It is named after the seaport city of Damietta (دمياط).
^abcdefghijklmnopRubino, R., Morand-Fehr, P., Sepe, L. (2004).Atlas of goat products. Italy: La Biblioteca di Caseus.ISBN88-900631-4-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
