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Chèvre

Also indexed as: Goat's Milk Cheese

Fine goats’-milk cheeses slice easily and are ideal for grilling and salads.

Chèvre is the French word for “goat” and for the cheese made from goats’ milk. Most goat’s milk cheese now sold under this name is a fresh (unaged), soft, white cheese with a texture somewhat like cream cheese, but with a pungent or tangy flavor. It is often hand-made, and may be sold shaped into small or large logs, little rounds, or as a spread. When it is aged, chèvre becomes a hard cheese.

Varieties

Traditional French chèvre is produced in larger logs that can be sliced. It is sold fresh, or aged 2 to 10 days after it is made.

This is a goats’ milk cheese, and as a type, these cheeses are generally available aged to different stages: young and creamy, mild (with herbs), or aged, with a hard texture and nutty flavor. Produced all over the world, they come in a wide array of fine varieties. The chèvre known as Picodon, for example, is soaked in wine or brandy. Goats’ milk cheeses are also available in a cream-cheese style.

Buying and storing tips

Fresh chèvre should be refrigerated at once. It will continue to ripen favorably, so store it in a way that allows it to breathe, wrapped in waxed paper or aluminum foil, or placed in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid; avoid sealing it up in plastic wrap. It can be kept for a month or two.

Availability

Chèvre is widely available in large health food stores, specialty stores, and markets.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Fine goats’ milk cheeses are wonderful table cheeses. They slice easily and are ideal for grilling. The flavor of goats’ milk cheeses is complemented by that of almonds (especially toasted almonds), walnuts, and hazelnuts, and olives. Pair these cheeses with whole-wheat walnut bread for a delicious snack or hors d’oeuvre, or with salads of fresh greens and fruit.

Nutritional Highlights

Chèvre, 1 oz. (28g) (semisoft)
Calories: 103
Protein: 6.1g
Carbohydrate: 0.72g
Total Fat: 8.5g
Fiber: 0.0g