Goats were one of the earliest domestic animals herded by human, with a history of over 9,000 years. Goat milk has been known for its beneficial and therapeutic effects for people with different health issues, ranging from cow milk allergy to illnesses.  People have also known that goat milk is easier to digest than cow milk since the former has a more digestible content of fat and protein.  Because of its unique chemical characteristics, goat milk has been turned into various kinds of products. The goat milk-based products may vary in different cultures and regions. Goat milk is used for drinking, cooking and baking. It can also be made into cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, candy, sweets, condensed/dried products, soap and other body products.  As technology advances in recent years, many specialty products made from goat milk, such as skin care, hair, and cosmetic products, emerged.

As a popular product made from goat milk, goat cheese was probably one of the earliest made dairy products dating back thousands of years.  When you see goat cheese, you will notice that it’s much whiter than the cheese made from cow milk since goat milk is whiter.  It can be naturally colored during the making process as well.  Because the fat structure or globules of goat milk are smaller, and because it is naturally emulsified, acid, such as vinegar, is not needed to coagulate the milk. The very best goat cheeses can be produced by letting the milk sit for less than 24 hours since the digestive enzymes break down faster and easier when it’s smaller.  Some people like the distinctive taste of goat cheese. Many say that the taste is a bit more on the sweet side than that of cow’s cheese. When compared to cow’s cheese, goat cheese has lower fat, calories, and sodium, and the best of all is that people who are lactose intolerant can try goat cheese if they cannot consume the regular cheese.  In addition, goat cheese is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, niacin, thiamine, calcium and protein.  There are seven popular goat cheese that you should know: Humboldt Fog, Bleu du Bocage, Garrotxa, Crottin de Chavignol, Tomme de Chevre Aydius, Brunet, and Saint-Maure de Touraine. There are so many kinds of goat cheese available around the world.

Surprisingly, you can make soap out of goat milk. Such soap is wonderful for people with dry or sensitive skin.  Some doctors prescribe goat milk soap to treat eczema and psoriasis conditions. It works amazingly, perhaps because of its alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), which helps remove dead skin cells from the skin surface. In fact, AHA is the main active ingredient for many anti-aging products on the market.  With natural vitamin A, it has shown to provide some psoriasis relief as well. The cream part of the goat milk soap also keeps skin naturally moisturized so the skin looks healthier.  If you have purchased anti-aging products before, you know they are expensive. But now you can try goat milk soap at a much lower price and enjoy the same benefits as that of other skin care products.

Goat milk-based products indeed bring us so many benefits as we continue to learn more about the amazing goat milk and discover its wonders. We will continue this exciting journey of discovering more new products made from goat milk in the years to come.