🧀 Best Varieties of Goat Cheese: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Tastiest Ones

Goat cheeses hold a special place in French gastronomy. With over a hundred varieties, they are distinguished by their unique textures, aromas, and terroirs. In this article, discover them. best goat cheeses to savor, their characteristics, as well as some tips for enjoying them properly.

1. Chabichou du Poitou AOP: the icon of Poitou-Charentes

Le Chabichou from Poitou, AOP since 1990, is one of the most emblematic goat cheeses of the French heritage.

Features:

• Texture: soft, thin and supple dough
• Taste: mild, lactic with a slight acidity
• Maturation: between 10 days and several weeks
• Shape: small, recognizable truncated conical cylinder

Ideal on a cheese board or lightly melted in a warm salad, it reveals all the finesse of Poitou goat's milk.

2. Crottin de Chavignol: the star of cheese platters

Originally from the Sancerre region, the Crottin de Chavignol AOP is a must.

Features:

• Texture varies depending on the aging process: from soft to dry
• Taste: mild when young, becoming more full-bodied with age
• Aging: up to 4 months for a strong flavor

Enjoyed with a Sancerre white wineIt offers an unparalleled gastronomic experience.

3. Selles-sur-Cher: the ashen gentleness

Le Selles-sur-Cher AOP seduced by its ashy appearance and its creamy texture.

Features:

• Crust: thin, bluish-grey
• Taste: mild, slightly salty
• Texture: creamy, then firmer with age

This is one of the most elegant goat cheeses to include in a refined cheese board.

4. Valençay: the legendary pyramid

Easily recognizable by its truncated pyramidal shape, the Valençay AOP is as subtle as it is surprising.

Features:

• Appearance: ashy crust
• Taste: mild, with notes of hazelnut
• History: According to legend, Napoleon himself inspired its current form.

Its aesthetic appeal makes it a perfect cheese to enhance a table or buffet.

5. Sainte-Maure de Touraine: elegance in the heart of the Loire

Crossed by a rye straw, the Sainte-Maure de Touraine AOP is a true signature of French cheesemaking.

Features:

• Texture: melting, slightly moist
• Taste: fresh, rich, with a hint of acidity
• Special feature: the engraved straw guarantees its authenticity

Perfect for eating on its own or for cooking, especially in tarts or puff pastries.

6. Banon: the cheese wrapped in its chestnut leaves

Le Banon AOP, originally from Haute-Provence, is unique in its kind.

Features:

• Coating: chestnut leaves tied with a strand of raffia
• Texture: creamy, sometimes very runny
• Taste: powerful, woody, aromatic

A cheese with character, ideal for lovers of rich taste sensations.

Top 10 goat cheeses you absolutely must try

To summarize, here is a list of best varieties of goat cheese :

1. Chabichou from Poitou
2. Crottin de Chavignol
3. Valençay
4. Saint-Maure of Touraine
5. Selles-sur-Cher
6. Well no
7. Rocamadour
8. Picodon
9. Pouligny-Saint-Pierre
10. Pelardon

How to properly enjoy a goat cheese?

Temperature

Take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before tasting.

Food and wine pairings

• White wines Sancerre, Vouvray, dry Muscat
• Light red wines Pinot Noir, Gamay
• Honeys & dried fruits : perfect with fresh cheeses

Conservation

Store them in an airtight container or cheese paper, at 8–12°C.