Feta Is Not Goat Cheese

Just want to clear up a misconception. Once in a while I’ll be in a conversation about food and cheese and someone will say how they like Feta. Then I’ll say I like goat cheese. Maybe 50% of the time they’ll say, “Feta is goat cheese.”

Actually, it’s not. Feta is usually crumbly, goat cheese is soft, like a soft cream cheese. And they taste pretty different. And while Feta *can* be made from goat’s milk it most often isn’t. FoodTV entry about Feta says it’s usually made from cow’s milk now. Nicer ones I’ve seen are often sheep milk. At any rate, it’s not the same as goat cheese.

Is it random that goat cheese is my favorite? I dunno, I just like it. For me, it’s a critical part of a spinach salad. Maya in SF did it nicely, putting the goat cheese in a little deep fried croquette on the top of the salad. Nice. I actually remember when I was introduced to goat cheese. In high school my great-aunt visited and me, my mom, her and my uncle ate at Chez Panisse cafe. I had this pizza there which included goat cheese and it was delicious.

I like all cheeses but I think my second favorite cheese is a really good cheddar. Preferably not dyed orange. Favorite on sandwiches is swiss. I like blue cheeses also. But not a huge fan of feta. Weird, huh? Random entry.