Goat cheese: simple but delicious, waiting to be discovered!

Goat cheese: a natural, healthy and genuine food, to be discovered in many recipe and taste variations, suitable for every palate! Delicious, flavorful yet highly digestible, this cheese is made from goat's milk, considered lighter and more digestible. That’s why it will be possible to conclude a meal enjoying it without feelings of guilt, or serve it as a main course creating appetizing pairings!

Goat cheese: characteristics and nutritional values

The goat cheeses have an ancient tradition in our country and possess numerous properties beneficial to our well-being. They are much lighter than those made from cow’s milk, and are an excellent source of calcium and vitamins, especially D, and taurine, an amino acid with energizing and antioxidant properties.

Goat cheese is more caloric than cow cheese but has less fat. For this reason, it is more digestible and is preferable even for those with high cholesterol levels. In this case, however, it is necessary to assess the type of goat cheese, preferring the fresher varieties. A 100-gram portion of goat cheese provides about 230-250 calories, making it lighter than stracchino or ricotta, which provide 260. Therefore, we can consume it without too many sacrifices!

Goat cheese: our small selection of goat cheeses

Goat cheese is produced in different ways and with some variations from the classic recipe.
Here is our selection of goat cheeses made from the best Italian dairies, renowned for quality and taste variety. A true journey through different Italian regions, where various specialties are produced.

• Brunet: it is a traditional Piedmontese goat cheese produced by the Caseificio dell'Alta Langa. Its texture is compact but with a creamy, fresh taste, ideal for yogurt lovers, with a refined hint of typical goat flavor. A great pairing is lemon jam.
• Genziana di capra: it is produced by the dairy La Casara, among the hills of Roncà, in Veneto. The Genziana di capra is known for its authentic taste, ideal as a table cheese, offered in a small shape to be enjoyed during a romantic dinner for two!
• Caciotta goat cheese Orosei: this caciotta comes from Sardinia, a well-known producer of goat cheeses. I Sapori del Portico offers this rustic goat cheese, intensely aromatic due to the influence of herbs and sea salt. Excellent as a dessert cheese, or to pair in a delightful platter!
• Caprino del Monte Baldo Aviense under ash: this goat cheese is a masterpiece of aging by Giuseppe Bernardinelli from I Sapori del Portico. The shape of goat cheese, after a short aging period, is sprinkled with ash obtained from wood charcoal and then aged. This cheese, with a sweet taste, is ideal to be served on a platter, accompanied by mustard in pear sauce or acacia honey.
• Scimudin pure goat with vegetable rennet: this Lombard cheese is produced by the dairy Opere Casearie in the Valtellina area. A traditional goat cheese made with vegetable rennet, of short aging and soft paste, ideal for meal consumption, paired with honey or gently mixed with polenta.
• Honey moon goat cheese in bee wax: this extraordinary aged cheese is produced by La Casearia Carpenedo, in Veneto. Its velvety texture and sweet taste make it delightful even on its own, but paired with a sauce of caramelized red onions or honey to enhance its sweetness, you won't be able to do without it!
• Blu di capra with forest fruits: another fantastic aging work by I Sapori del Portico. Its characteristic comes from the blue veining with Penicillium roqueforti; in fact, it is a blue cheese, aged alongside ripe red fruits, giving it the typical flavor that makes it ideal for delightful appetizers.

Goat cheeses: pairings and recipes

Goat cheese pairs very well with honey, mustard, black bread or grain bread. Depending on the aging and consistency, it can become an ingredient for delicious recipes, such as salads, zucchini and goat cheese quiche, tomatoes stuffed with soft goat cheese, or rolls of cooked ham and goat cheese with aromatic herbs.

However it is enjoyed, goat cheese awakens new sensations on the palate, to be tried every day to make every meal a unique experience!

Antonella Iannò