The history of the production of goat cheese goes back beyond the time of the ancient Greeks to when the goat was first domesticated about 5000 BC. The cheese has always enjoyed a strong popularity and spread from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe, Africa, South West Asia and India. The first settlers in America included goats in their inventory of dairy animals and the dairy goat has always had a presence on the typical American farm.
During the last decade there has been an enormous increase in consumer interest for domestic goat cheeses. The number of domestic goat cheese producers has increased dramatically and there are currently many such producers in the United States. Thus, there is today, an extraordinary array of American Goat Cheeses. A cheese tray worthy of the name cannot in fact, be truly complete without a typical American made goat cheese, be it spiced or plain, subtle or fresh, resting next to its peers made from cow, sheep or water buffalo milk.
The variety and shapes and qualities of goat cheeses is matched only by the diversity of the American regions of their origin. Be it the hills of New England or upstate New York; the countryside of the Virginias or Carolinas; the Mid-West or Upper Mid-West; from the Texas plains to the Rockies and on to the coastal valleys of the West Coast; each cheese reflects the individual terrain and local traditions of the area of its production.
In keeping with National Goat Cheese Month, dairy goat breeders strive to make the circle complete by bringing the milk producer together with the end user of the product and connect every step in between. What is more basic than food, and what food is more basic than goat milk and its hundreds of products. Try some goat cheese today!