Across the Board: Cheese 101

In honor of all the students returning to school this month, I’m offering a course I’ll call Cheese 101, discussing the basic distinctions between cow, sheep and goat milk cheeses. This is the best kind of class – free, open to everyone, only takes a few minutes and has no exams. Enjoy!

First, I’d like to introduce myself – my name is Nadine and I’m Carlino’s newest cheese monger. I’ve been around the block a few times, having toiled in corporate America, having traveled around the world, having worked as a professional brewer, and now having finally found my happy place at the cheese counter in West Chester. Please stop by to say hello and talk cheese.

If you’re a fan of cow’s milk cheeses, you probably enjoy their smooth textures and fuller mouthfeel. Cows tend to survive on mostly grass giving their cheeses an earthier flavor without being tangy. There are larger fat molecules in cow’s milk making digestion more difficult – sorry to the lactose intolerant people out there. The traditionalists among you enjoy these cheeses. Imagine your favorite cheddar, swiss or parmesan.    

Those of you who enjoy a more solid, nuttier cheese will like those made with sheep’s milk. This milk has the highest fat and protein content so less of it is required to make cheese, which is lucky because sheep are a bit skittish about being milked, but it also produces cheeses that are rich and buttery. Some of the most common are Spanish manchego and Italian moliterno. 

Goat’s milk cheese is the type you are most likely to ask for by name, whether it’s because it’s your favorite or because you don’t like the “goatiness” of it. This distinct flavor is due to the rough diet, including brambles and thorns, that goats can tolerate. These cheeses do mellow with age. The attractiveness of goat’s milk cheese is its smoother, creamier texture and the fact that it’s the most digestible of the three. The chevre log is the most traditional, but the enthusiast might also enjoy a goat brie or a wonderfully pungent blue.  

Congratulations on completing the course! If you are looking to continue your cheese education, you’re welcome to take an optional field trip to Carlino’s for some taste testing. Oops, I guess there are tests involved in this class.