Goat Milk

1) Humboldt Fog

Humboldt Fog is an American cheese produced in Arcata, California. The cheese is made with goat’s milk and has a paper-thin bloomy rind. Inside, there is a semi-soft body with a creamy, smooth, and slightly runny texture, due to the fact that Humboldt Fog ripens from the outside to the centre.

The cheese is distinguished by a layer of edible ash on the interior, which is actually a nod to the French Morbier cheese. The aromas of this cheese are pungent and floral, while the flavors are citrusy, tangy, and slightly lemony. It is recommended to drizzle it with honey and serve it with almonds, tart apples, or prosciutto.

2) Goat Gouda

Goat Gouda is an American semi-hard cheese produced in California. This Gouda-style cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and cream. The rind is natural, and the texture is dense, firm, and smooth, sometimes slightly grainy. The aroma is sweet and the flavors are caramel-like, milky, and nutty.

Goat Gouda ages for about 5 months before it’s ready for consumption. It’s recommended to pair it with a glass of Chardonnay and serve it with sour cherry preserve.

3) Purple Haze

Purple Haze is an American cheese produced in California by Cypress Grove. It dates back to the 1970s, when Mary Keehn found herself with excess goat milk and invented the cheese in the process. Nowadays, the milk is pasteurized in vats with coagulants and cultures, and the mix is then placed into a curd press to drain.

The curd is combined with salt and shaped into disks which are dusted with wild fennel pollen and lavender. Without aging, the cheeses are sent to markets where they can be sold and consumed. This aromatic, fresh, soft cheese has no rind, and its texture is crumbly, smooth, creamy, and spreadable.

4) Herbes de Provence Chevre

Herbes de Provence Chevre is an American semi-soft cheese hailing from Colorado, where it’s produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s shaped into logs that are coated in Herbes de Provence, a traditional French spice blend originating from Provence.

The texture of this rindless cheese is creamy and crumbly. The aromas are fresh and clean, while the flavors are mild and herbaceous. It’s recommended to serve the cheese with crusty bread and Kalamata olives.

5) Bijou

Bijou is an American cheese hailing from Vermont. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s left to age for 30 days. During the maturation period, Bijou (jewel in French) forms a wrinkly mold-ripened rind with a sweet and yeasty aroma.

Underneath it, the texture is smooth and creamy. The flavors are tangy, sharp, yeasty, clean, milky, and sweet, with hints of hazelnuts and flowers. It’s recommended to serve this small hand-shaped button of cheese with pickled cherries, pancetta, fig jam, and roasted hazelnuts.

6) Coupole

Coupole is an American cheese produced in Vermont by Vermont Creamery in Websterville. The cheese is made from goat’s milk and it’s shaped into a dome. The texture is creamy and dense, while the aromas and flavors are fresh, mild, and milky.

The wrinkled rind has a strong and intense aroma that makes the cheese stand out on a cheeseboard. Coupole is an award-winning cheese, including a silver medal at the 2011 World Cheese Awards. This unique cheese is named after its likeness to a snow-covered dome.

7) Stickney Hill Chevre

Stickney Hill Chevre is an American cheese hailing from Kimball, where it’s produced by Stickney Hill Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and has a natural rind. Underneath the rind, the texture is semi-soft, spreadable, and crumbly.

The aromas are mild, lactic, and goaty, while the flavors range from mild and herbaceous to spicy, garlicky, and tangy. The cheese is made in a few varieties, most of them flavored with different ingredients, such as Tomato Basil Chevre, Garlic and Herb Chevre, Honey Chevre, Pumpkin Spice Chevre, and Cranberry Chevre.

 

8) Boulder Chevre

Boulder Chevre is an American cheese hailing from Colorado, where it’s produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk. This fresh chevre is rindless and has a texture that is crumbly, firm, and creamy.

The aromas are fresh and clean, while the flavors are grassy, tangy, and citrusy. Boulder Chevre is often crumbled over salads, pasta, and eggs. It’s also often used in sandwiches or cheesecakes.

 

9) Midnight Moon

Midnight Moon is a gouda-style cheese that’s produced in the Netherlands and sold under the Cypress Grove label in Arcata, California. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s left to age from 6 to 12 months before consumption.

Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is smooth, dense, grainy, and hard. The aromas are sweet and nutty, while the flavors are buttery, nutty, sweet, and savory with hints of butterscotch and caramel. It’s recommended to pair Midnight Moon with a glass of Zinfandel, Syrah, or sherry.

The cheese has won many awards, including a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2014. Pair with Syrah, Sherry, Zinfandel.

10) Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue is an American semi-soft blue cheese originating from Colorado. Made from raw milk of Saneen, Alpine, and Nubian goats, the cheese has a dense and slightly dry texture and natural rind. The body is semi-soft and filled with blue veins, the aroma is goaty, while the flavors are spicy, peppery, pungent, and sharp.

This blue cheese is usually aged for 2 to 4 months. During that period, it develops its peppery flavors which get more accentuated as the cheese matures. It is recommended to pair Midnight Blue with wildflower honey and a glass of dry sherry.

 

 

 

 

Cheese is a powerhouse of essential nutrients. The major health benefits of cheese include relief from hypertension and osteoporosis. It also helps in maintaining bone health, gaining weight and dental care. For ages, it has been part and parcel of daily life in Europe, America, Australia and nearly every country in the world that has a cold climate, except certain countries in the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle Eastern region. That being said, India and some of its neighboring countries have been using a slightly different form of cheese which is commonly known as “cottage cheese” or “paneer” for generations.

Unlike traditional cheese, cottage cheese is not fermented. Over the last 10 years or so, cheese has become widely popular in India and neighboring countries with multinational companies like McDonald’s stepping into these countries with their mouth-watering products like pizza and hamburgers both of which use a lot of cheese. Contrary to the popular belief of fresh edibles being more nutritious, fermented cheese is far more nutritious than its fresher counterpart.

It is prepared from milk or milk products such as curd.  There are many varieties and flavors of cheese available all around the world.

Nutritional Value of Cheese

Cheese contains many nutrients, including vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. Other vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin are also found in different types of cheese. Adding it to your diet also provides certain vital minerals such as calcium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and iron to the human body. [2]

Wonderful Benefits of Cheese

The health benefits of cheese include the following:

Dental Care – Cheese has very high calcium content, the first and foremost thing you need for strong teeth. Moreover, it is very low in lactose content. Older the cheese, lower the lactose content in it. This also is beneficial for the teeth as any form of sugar (glucose, maltose or lactose) in food can harm the teeth.

Improves Bone Health – Apart from having very high calcium content, cheese is also rich in vitamin-B, which is very good for children, women (particularly when pregnant or lactating) and elderly people, for the formation and strengthening of bones and cartilage. The vitamin-B in cheese aids to the proper absorption and distribution of calcium.

Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis is mainly a deficiency disease caused by a deficiency of calcium (non-absorption), resulting in a decrease in bone mineral density. This is particularly seen in women who have undergone menopause, elderly people and children who suffer from malnutrition. This can be treated with protein, calcium and a vitamin-rich diet. Calcium alone will not help much, because the problem is with its absorption and its utilization for bone formation. These three components are found in abundance in cheese. Therefore, it can be an ideal part of the diet for those suffering from osteoporosis.

Prevents Hypertension – Sodium and cholesterol are the two elements mainly considered harmful for hypertension and hypertensive people. In this way, cheese should be viewed critically. The fat content of the cheese depends very much on the quality of the milk, whether it is full fat or full cream, low fat or fat free. In general, high-fat ones are more popular, since they tend to taste better. But, keeping in view the public demand and health concerns, low-fat cheese is also being introduced to the market. This means that you need to be choosy while picking it for your home and diet.

Don’t forget the sodium content! Although the sodium content of cheese varies according to the amount of salt added to the milk prior to cheese formation, it is never low enough to be recommended for hypertensive people, as salt is an inevitable part of the cheese. In general, it is not recommended for people suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure). Although low sodium and low-fat cheese are helpful in reducing homocysteine, an agent that is often related to heart diseases, this fact still does not make it recommendable for hypertensive people. Another thing in it that can help hypertensive people is the vitamin-B content if they do choose to eat it.

Promotes Weight Gain – Cheese is an excellent food for gaining weight. It is full of proteins, fats, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. You need protein for muscle formation and growth, fats for fat-based processes in the body, calcium for heavier and stronger bones and vitamins and minerals for improved metabolic function. You just need to eat a lot of them, do your exercise and sleep an adequate amount.

Other Benefits: Cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid and sphingolipids which may help prevent various diseases. It contains a lot of vitamin-B which develops in it during the fermentation process. Vitamin-B is very good for maintaining many functions in the body and also for protection against diseases like Beriberi. It also enhances blood formation, strengthens the liver, and facilitates the absorption of nutrients in the body.

How to select and store Cheese?

Different types of cheese are available in markets all over the world. Some varieties such as fresh cheese with no preservatives are to be used within a few days of purchase as they easily spoil. Store it in cool places or refrigerate them. Before eating or using cheese keep it at room temperatures for better flavor and texture.

 

 

You may be surprised at the many Parmesan Cheese benefits you can enjoy when you eat this dairy delight in moderation.

What is Parmesan Cheese?

Parmesan cheese, also known as Parmigiano Reggiano, is a hard variety of cheese that can be made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk. It is known for its salty and nutty flavor. It is a popular flavor addition in Italian cuisine. The authentic Parmigiano Reggiano is specifically acquired from certain regions of Italy and it lasts for over a year.

Is Parmesan Cheese Gluten Free?

Since Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan is a dairy product, it qualifies the test of being gluten-free. Although make sure you check the nutrition label while buying this cheese, as sometimes during the production and manufacturing process, there can be gluten contamination.

Parmesan Cheese Nutrition

According to USDA Nutrition Data, parmesan is a good source of water, energy, total lipids, fiber, and sugar. It is also rich in various minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. When it comes to vitamins, it has a rich supply of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin b12, and vitamin A, E, D, and K.

• Calories: A one-cup serving of parmesan cheese contains 431 calories.
• Carbs: A single cup contains 4 grams of carbs and 38 grams of protein.

Benefits of Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan cheese has several health benefits and is touted as the superfood of cheeses. However, parmesan also contains a lot of salt, which people on low-sodium diets should keep in mind.

Calcium

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of calcium, giving you more than a day’s worth in a single cup serving. Dietary calcium, along with protein and vitamin D, is crucial to gaining healthy bone mass. It also promotes heart health and strong teeth and prevents blood clotting.

Calcium is also an important part of muscle growth and health. According to a study published in Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism, conducted by Barbara Pampaloni et al., thanks to the artisanal and exclusive method of producing Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, it is one of the best dietary options for calcium uptake and easy digestion

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is known for promoting strong eyesight and low light vision. However, it is also critical for the development of strong, dense bones, a healthy immune system, and it may even lower your risk for certain cancers. It helps maintain your white blood cell count and boosts your immune system. It is also an important nutrient for reproductive health.

Protein

Parmesan is an excellent source of protein, with 20 grams in a 2-ounce serving. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair and also aids [4] in weight loss regimens.