Goat's Cheese

A different milk, a different cheese

Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules and naturally less casein-aggregating alpha-s1 protein than cow’s milk, which is why goat’s cheese tends toward soft, crumbly textures rather than the firm, sliceable bodies of cheddars. The flavor — tangy, slightly grassy, with a characteristic “barnyard” note — comes from short-chain fatty acids (caproic, capric, caprylic) that are abundant in goat fat.

Major styles

• Chèvre frais — fresh, soft, spreadable, often log-shaped (France).
• Crottin de Chavignol — small aged disc, firm and pungent (Loire Valley).
• Bucheron — bloomy-rind, brie-like but tangier.
• Feta — Greek brined cheese, traditionally from sheep and goat milk.
• Cabra al Vino — Spanish goat cheese soaked in red wine.

How it’s made

Goat’s milk curds are softer and more delicate than cow’s. Producers often use long, slow lactic-acid fermentations — sometimes 24+ hours — rather than rapid rennet coagulation, then ladle the curds into molds without breaking them. The result holds water, producing creamy fresh cheeses that don’t need aging.

Lactose and digestibility

Goat’s milk has slightly less lactose than cow’s, and many people who can’t tolerate cow’s-milk cheese find aged goat cheeses easier to digest — partly because aging reduces lactose further as bacteria consume it.