Goat cheese newbie question: is "Chavrie" to goat cheese what Kraft is to cheddar?

[creativeusername]

I just discovered goat cheese as my new favorite omelet ingredient and bought a brand called Chavrie because it was the only kind on my rural grocer's shelf. (Comes in a pyramid-like plastic container with pictures of cute little goats on it.) It's very tasty, but it says on the container that it's mild.

I don't know enough about goat cheese to know mild from sharp but I do know that my favorite cheddar isn't even close to mild nor does it have pictures of cows on it. So, as someone who enjoys "a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese" (props to the gnome), is there a brand that I should look for that will make my tastebuds do cartwheels?

Thanks!

[DonShirer]

You won't find them in most grocery stores, but if you ever visit a cheese shop, try the cheeses from
www.cypressgrovechevre.com/
They have several good ones, but Humbolt Fog is (as Tony the Tiger says) grrrrrreat. It does becomes pungent upon aging, but I wouldn't hide it in omelets.

By the way, I am told that "Gjetost" in Norway just means "goat cheese". If you ever find any, be sure to slice it VERY thin!

[otps]

Both of my parents were from Norway. I had to deal with pickled herring, smoked fish, lutefisk and many other smelly foods. One of my saviors was the Gjetost, sweet thinly sliced it melted on my tongue. The best way to enjoy it was with little bit thicker cut on an apple slice. Better than a caramel apple.

[creativeusername]

Thanks so much for the recommendations! Now I'm going to need a "what the heck do I do wih all this goat cheese?" thread in a few weeks when I order it all and do a tasting lineup. :)

[brieonwheat]

I know you already have a ton of cheeses to try - but I thought a distinction might be helpful. As noted, the Chavrie is a fresh goat cheese. If you like stinky cheese, you should try an aged goat cheese. These cheeses look either like a slice of a log with a rind around it, or a little round completely encased in a rind - these smaller ones are called "bouchons." These are my favorite kinds of goat cheese - extra goat-y.

[pikawicca]

There are actually many different shapes of goat cheese. In addition to the ones you mention, I've seen pyramids, teardrops, and wheels.

[kateu]

Great on-line cheese source, or all kinds of foodie goodies for that matter, is Zingerman's which is in Ann Arbor, MI. Their URL is www.zingermans.com

[pikawicca]

Capriole Farm here in Indiana makes goat cheese ranging from the mild chevre to the stinky (and very delicious) Mont St. Francis. They just won several awards at a cheese competition in Italy. I'm lucky to be able to buy it at the farmers' market, but you can order online. www.capriole.com

[ceekskat]

If you want to see all the different varieties of goat cheese available, try this online search:

http://www.thefind.com/query.php?quer...

[SeaSide Tomato]

There's a goat cheese available in some supermarkets that is different. Look for "Yetoste" (sp?) It's sharp, tangy and almost a tiny bit sweet-don't ask me how, it also reminds many of peanut butter--probably because it's that color. Very good. We use to have it growing up at the holidays (we're half Norwegeian and it's a Norwegian brand, I beliee).

Anyway-I'd describe the packaging for you to recognize but my sister's the one who usually buys it--I just recognize it when I see it.

Good luck. How great to be exploring goat cheese!!

[Ruth Lafler]

It's called "Geitost" -- it's brown and slightly sweet because the milk is cooked, caramelizing the milk sugars -- sort of a cross between goat cheese and dulce de leche.

[paulj]

It's actually made from whey left over from making cheese - whey has been cooked down and caramelized. It is good, but quite different from the truly pungent goat cheeses (that smell like the goat sat in it).

paulj

[creativeusername]

LOL! Thanks for the visual.

[hotoynoodle]

if you're in a truly cheese-deficient area of the country, you may want to consider having some good stuff shipped to you -- to experience the real thing. artisan in nyc and formaggio kitchen in boston both have heavenly selections and will overnight anything to you.

[swf36d]

I personally like Laura Chenel Chevre. It is a little tangy, but not strong. They even sell it in my local Sam's Club. IGourmet.com is also a good source for cheese. I believe they may even offer a goat chese assortment.

[monavano]

Most grocery store brands are mild chevre and honestly not bad in my opinion, just not transcendent. I am very fortunate to have a local farmers market where a vendor sells nothing but goat cheeses. If you want to try a wonderful picant chevre, order the Allegheny Chevre from Firefly Farm.......or go to your local market or cheesemonger.
http://www.fireflyfarms.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=688

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