Did you know that goat cheese has a season?
I only learned it myself when I moved to France, but then again, it’s hard not to notice when every cheese counter rolls out the red carpet for these slightly acidic specialties that hail from all across France.
When buying goat cheese, there are several different shapes you can try, from pyramids to logs to little crottins, which are small rounds. There are also different varieties you can try, from ashed cheeses to cheeses that have been rolled in herbs or even raisins, to some others that have developed a bloomy rind like Brie or Camembert.
No matter the goat cheese you try, you’ll usually pick it, at least in part, by how dry it is. Some will be frais, or fresh. This is the type we usually get in the States, and it tends to have the same creamy texture throughout.
Next you’ve got your demi-frais and demi-secs, which are halfway between frais and the last, hardest category, the sec or dry. This cheese will have a texture like Parmesan and a very powerful flavor; it’s best enjoyed in thin slivers.
While there are hundreds of different goat cheeses, I thought I’d call attention to two of my favorites, both of which I got at the demi-frais stage, when they’re still quite creamy but not too damp.
The one up top is a goat cheese from Provence that’s wrapped in a chestnut leaf. The cheese itself is actually relatively mild and very creamy inside, but the leaf adds a bit of pleasant bitterness to the exterior which I quite like. There are other leaf-wrapped goat cheeses out there, like the Banon, which tend to be quite powerful in aroma and a bit overwhelming in my humble opinion, but this one is really nice.
This cheese is called a Figou, both because it’s shaped like a fig and because it contains a dollop of fig jam inside. Fig jam goes so well with goat cheese thanks to its natural, intense, almost honey-like sweetness, but a little bit goes a long way. I’ve tried fig jam-stuffed goat cheeses that contain far too much jam for my liking, but this one had a subtle amount at the very heart that was the perfect foil for the mild goat cheese.
Share your favorite goat cheeses with me in the comments! I’m always on the lookout for a new cheese to try.