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Milk is the signature ingredient in all cheese. Learning about the different types of milk will help you add specific flavor profiles to recipes and cheese plates.
Cow’s milk is the most commonly used in cheese making. However, sheep, goat, and buffalo's milk cheeses are also very popular. Each type of milk differs slightly in its fat content, overall composition, and thus each imparts a distinctive flavor.
Cow’s milk
Cow’s milk is the smooth foundation of many popular cheeses including Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, Gouda, Parmesan, Romano, Cheddar, and Swiss. The most common type of milk used in cheese making remains cow’s milk. The largest collection of recipes, and styles of cheese can be explored that use cow’s milk. The world of cheese made of cow’s milk, is a constant adventure for any food connoisseur, offering new flavors to savor.
Goat’s milk
Goat’s milkcheeses have a tart flavor, compared to cow’s milk varieties. Cheese, and other products are commonly processed using goat’s milk. Goat cheese is known as fromage de chèvre ("goat cheese") in France. El Pastor goat cheese is equally suited for spreading, slicing or snacking. Made from the highest quality goat’s milk in the Zamora region of Spain, this exceptional cheese is among the finest in the world.
Sheep’s milk
Sheep’s milkhas more fat than cow’s or goat’s milk, and is known for its slightly sweet flavor and rich, creamy texture. Sheep’s milk is highly nutritional, yet contains more vitamin A, B, and E, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium than cow's milk. Sheep’s milk yields 18 to 25 percent cheese, while goat’s and cow’s milk only yield 9 to 10 percent. In Italy, Pecorino Romano is the most popular cheese made from sheep’s milk.
Buffalo’s milk
Buffalo’s milkis very good for healthy bones, dental, and cardiovascular health. It is creamier and thicker, and has more calories than cow’s milk (because of its higher fat and protein content). Buffalo’s milk is very rich in calcium, while also a sensible source of minerals like magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It has become well known for making buffalo mozzarella cheese.
Now that you know your cheese milk, learn more about the finished product
