Goat cheese

Goat’s milk cheese, goat cheese or Chèvre cheese is cheese made from goat’s milk (chèvre is french for goat). In regions where domesticated goats are kept, many kinds of goat’s milk cheeses are produced.
Although cow’s milk and goat’s milk have similar overall fat contents, the higher proportion of medium-chain fatty acids such as caproic, caprylic and carric acid in goat’s milk contributes to the characteristic tart flavor of goat’s milk cheese. (These fatty acids take their name from the Latin for goat, ‘capra’.)
Their small size makes them easier to break down and digest than the larger, long-chain fatty acids of cow’s cheese. The goat cheese has the added benefit of not containing
bovine growth hormones.

Nutritional value

When compared to cow milk products like cheddar and cream cheeses is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol. For example, cream cheese has 9.9 grams of fat per ounce, and cheddar cheese has 9.4 grams. But some Goat Cheese has a low 5.5 grams of fat. In addition to these benefits, goat cheese has greater quantities of potassium, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin and is rich in protein.

Nutritional Information

Per Oz. Goat Cheese Cow’s Cream Cheese
Calories 69.4 99.5
Protein (grams) 4 2.1
Fat (grams) 5.5 10
Cholesterol (mg) 17.6 30.5

Although you won’t win on calories or fat content, compared to normal cheese, it will provide you with variety, and expanding your range of flavors while you cook has to be good.
Goat’s cheese is produced mainly on the continent. There are over a hundred different French goat’s cheeses, most of which originate from the Centre and Poitou Charente regions of central and western France. Traditionally, they are named after the village in which they are made. However, there are now plenty of English-made goat’s cheeses – traditionally made on small organic farms, varieties like St Helen’s Farm, which are just as popular, are fulfilling a growing demand for this foodstuff.

What does it look like

Goat’s milk is bright white in color, which gives a delicate yellow hard cheese, or a white soft cheese. It has a unique flavor; it’s said that you’ll either love it or loathe it! Try it out over a deli counter before you purchase, or try out goat’s milk for a while before you go for the cheese.
The benefits of switching to this different type of food can be medical; allergy sufferers, or those who have problems digesting lactose, can benefit from this alternative.

How to use in cooking

You can use it just like normal hard cheese in recipes such as quiche lorraine, but do take into account the fact that it will definitely flavor food directly. It goes well with strong flavors such as cranberry; soft goat’s cheeses can be added to baked potatoes, or easily eaten with crisp breads. Starters such as goat’s cheese and cranberry filo triangles or goat’s cheese scones could make all the difference to your Christmas meal.

Goat’s milk

Delicious with a slightly sweet and sometimes salty undertone, goat’s milk is the milk of choice in most of the world. Although not popular in the United States, it can be found in markets and health foods stores throughout the year.
Unlike cow’s milk there is no need to homogenize goat’s milk. While the fat globules in cow’s milk tend to separate to the surface, the globules in goat’s milk are much smaller and will remain suspended in solution. When individuals have sensitivity to cow’s milk, goat’s milk can sometimes be used as an alternative.

Health benefits

Goat’s milk is a very good source of calcium and a good source of protein, phosphorous, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and potassium. Perhaps the greatest benefit of goat’s milk, however, is that some people who cannot tolerate cow’s milk are able to drink goat’s milk without any problems. Allergy to cow’s milk has been found in many people with conditions such as recurrent ear infections, asthma, eczema, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Replacing cow’s milk with goat’s milk may help to reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions.
Goat’s milk can sometimes even be used as a replacement for cow’s milk-based infant formulas for infants who have difficulties with dairy products. Unfortunately, goat’s milk is lacking in several nutrients that are necessary for growing infants, so parents interested in trying goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk-based formula for their infants should ask their pediatricians or other qualified healthcare practitioners for recipes and ways to add these important and vital nutrients. For older children and adults, however, goat’s milk can be an excellent calcium-rich alternative to cow’s milk as, in addition to calcium, it contains many of the same nutrients found in cow’s milk.

A good source of protein

Goat’s milk is a good source of low-cost high-quality protein, providing 8.7 grams of protein (17.4% of the daily value for protein) in one cup versus cow’s milk, which provides 8.1 grams or 16.3% of the DV for protein. The structure of humans and animals is built on protein. We rely on animal and vegetable protein for our supply of amino acids, and then our bodies rearrange the nitrogen to create the pattern of amino acids we require.

Goat’s milk is a very good source of calcium. Calcium is widely recognized for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorous join to form calcium phosphate.

Why is a lactose intolerant person able to have goat milk products?

Most lactose intolerants who can’t have cow milk will be able to digest goat milk. The fat particles in goat milk are close in size to those in mother’s milk. Goat milk products are said to be “naturally homogenized” and therefore easier to digest for lactose intolerants.
Fat Particles in goat milk are 1/3 the size of the fat particle in cow milk.

Sources: Wh Foods, Wight Watchers

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