by Kristen (your friendly, skeptical, trying-not-to-gag blogger)
Let’s get something out of the way right now: I don’t like goat cheese.
I know, I know. Somewhere a French cheesemonger just fainted into a wheel of camembert. But in the interest of journalistic integrity and pretending I’m the kind of person who can appreciate “complex flavor profiles,” I’ve put my personal taste aside and assembled this thorough, thoughtful guide to the weird little wedge that is goat cheese.
Let’s dig in (metaphorically—I’ll be snacking on cheddar).
🐐 Where It All Began: Goat Cheese Origins
Goat cheese, also known as chèvre (the fancy French term that makes it sound way more romantic than it tastes to me), has been around for thousands of years. Like, pre-sliced-bread thousands. It’s one of the oldest cheeses in human history because goats were some of the first animals domesticated for milk. Their small size made them ideal for early farming in rocky or arid regions where cows were basically like, “Nope.”
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were all about that goat milk life. Greek philosopher Hippocrates even sang the praises of goat dairy in 400 BCE. That’s right: the OG father of medicine was basically writing Yelp reviews for chèvre before Yelp even existed.
🧀 How It’s Made (A.K.A. Cheese Witchcraft)
The process starts simply: fresh goat’s milk is curdled using rennet or an acidic agent like lemon juice or vinegar. The curds are then drained and either packed into soft, creamy logs (the kind that crumble all over your salad like edible confetti) or aged into firmer, funkier varieties that come with their own zip code of tang.
Fun fact: goat cheese has smaller fat globules and less lactose than cow’s milk cheese, which gives it that signature sharpness and makes it easier to digest for some folks.
🍽️ Goat Cheese in the Wild: Culinary Uses
Goat cheese is nothing if not versatile. It’s the cheese equivalent of a theater kid—ready to perform in any genre:
- Salads: Crumbled goat cheese + beets = the bougie salad combo your brunching friend won’t shut up about.
- Pizzas & Flatbreads: A dollop of chèvre on a white pizza? Chef’s kiss (allegedly).
- Pasta & Risotto: Adds creaminess and tang to balance richer dishes.
- Stuffed Vegetables: Bell peppers, mushrooms, or even dates filled with goat cheese scream “I’m hosting a dinner party and have real life plans.”
- Desserts: Yes, there are goat cheese cheesecakes. I have not tried them. I fear them.
🌟 Pros of Goat Cheese (If You’re Into That Kind of Thing)
- Digestive-Friendly: Lower in lactose and A1 casein than cow’s milk cheese, so it’s gentler on some stomachs.
- High in Nutrients: Packed with calcium, protein, and vitamin A.
- Distinct Flavor: Some people love its earthy, tangy, grassy flavor. (I call this “barnyard realness.”)
- Works in Sweet and Savory Dishes: If you want your cheese to do double duty, goat cheese is up for the challenge.
- Fancy Factor: Sprinkle some on anything and suddenly it looks like a $14 appetizer.
😬 Cons of Goat Cheese (Hi, It’s Me)
- The Smell: Look, I don’t want to be dramatic, but sometimes goat cheese smells like what happens when your yoga mat has been in your trunk since July.
- The Flavor: Even fans admit it’s an acquired taste—“tangy” can quickly tip over into “tastes like licking a goat.”
- Texture Woes: Crumbly when you want creamy, creamy when you want firm. Goat cheese is the Goldilocks problem of dairy.
- Price: You’ll often pay more for less. Tiny log, big receipt.
🧠 Final Thoughts From a Goat Cheese Skeptic
I may not be a convert, but I can appreciate goat cheese for what it is: an ancient, nutrient-dense cheese with a devout following and a flavor that divides dinner tables like politics at Thanksgiving.
Do I keep trying it now and then in the hopes my taste buds will evolve? Yes. Do I make a face every time? Also yes.
But food is personal. And just because goat cheese and I aren’t soulmates doesn’t mean we can’t coexist peacefully on a cheese board—so long as it stays on your side of the crackers.
Tell me: are you pro-chèvre or anti-tang? Have you ever had a goat cheese dish that changed your mind? Or are you just here to silently judge me for not liking the holy grail of hipster dairy? Let’s chat in the comments.
🧀💬
— Kristen, trying not to make a goat pun, but honestly feeling baaaaad about it.
Further Reading:
“A History of Goat Cheese.” Soignon.
Jacobs, Cathy. “13 Delicious Ways to Use Goat Cheese.” The Spruce Eats. September 17, 2020.
Stout, Joe. “Goat Milk: Help From a Father of the Past.” Whole Foods Magazine. June 7, 2013.
Vachon, Pamela. “Fundamentals of Cheese: Understanding Goat Cheese.” Institute of Culinary Education. March 8, 2023.
