Published November 1, 2003. From Cook's Illustrated.
The French once had a corner on the goat cheese (or chèvre) market, but that's no longer the case.
We conducted a tasting of three domestic and four readily available imported fresh goat cheeses. All were sold in log form ranging in size from 3.5 to 5 ounces.
Our tasters concluded that American producers have mastered the craft of making goat cheese. All of the domestic cheeses were well liked, but we did find a clear winner. It was creamy and tangy but not overpowering.
Reviews of the imported cheese were mixed. Tasters were enthusiastic about our Canadian import, but many of the French cheeses were described as gamey or muttony, with a chalky, Spackle-like texture. A few adventurous tasters appreciated the assertive flavors of the imported cheeses, but the overall feeling was that the domestic cheeses were cleaner tasting, more balanced, and better suited for use in a baked goat cheese salad. (A head-to-head tasting of our favorite domestic and imported cheeses bore this out.)
Whether you like a mild or assertive goat cheese, when using goat cheese for salad look for a firm log with a relatively dry exterior. Softer cheeses are more difficult to portion evenly and don't lend themselves well to rolling and breading.
