Author Topic: Cana de Cabra  (Read 2124 times)

Offline GortKlaatu

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Cana de Cabra
« on: October 11, 2017, 08:00:11 PM »
I love this Spanish cheese. It is similar to a Bucheron, but like most bloomy rinded, semi-lactic goat cheeses, it's the subtle details that make a big final difference.


Does anyone have a recipe? I'd even settle for an excellent Bucheron recipe and see if I can get it closer to Cana de Cabra. The bits and hints I've scavenged seem to suggest that it should start off at a higher temp than usual during the bloom (?68F) and then age at a much lower temp than usual (44 F)--different than many others in this style.


I'm thinking it may actually be nothing more than a Bucheron recipe that was made in Spain with the higher milk fat producing Murcia goats of that area and the flavor difference comes from what those little goaties are munching on in that terrain.


If you haven't eaten Cana de Cabra, it is buttery and creamy and mild. It ends with a lemony citrus tang (but not a hard acid tang) and there are hints of mushroom. Here's a picture (obviously not mine,) so you can see it does have a "Bucheron-y" look


Thoughts?
Recipes?
Help?
Gracias!
Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.

Offline botanist

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2017, 04:36:49 PM »
http://m.sfgate.com/food/cheesecourse/article/Ca-a-de-Cabra-rolls-out-like-silk-3258693.php#
Sounds like the make is similar and I would bet some of the flavor difference is due to the Murcia breed and choice of lactic culture.  Texture is affected by handling the curd and can also be modified by culture choice, such as an adjunct like Choozit LM57.
The goat breed I have produces very mildly flavored milk, regardless of feed and breed has a huge effect on fatty acids profile.
Check out this video for how another lactic goat cheese paste is handled to get an idea about texturizing (web search Humboldt Fog cheese manufacture)
Recipes can be found on this forum under lactic fresh cheese goat milk. There are also excellent books specific for these sorts of cheeses. Do you have dairy goats?

before goats, store bought milk = chevre & feta, with goats, infinite possibilities, goatie love, lotta work cleaning out the barn!

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2017, 04:58:51 PM »
Yes, Botanist, I do.  I have La Manchas.
So they tend to have a sweet, creamy, higher fat content milk.  Of course, what they eat here, does affect the milk--mostly fresh tropical grasses, banana leaves, and mulberry leaves.



Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.

Offline botanist

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2017, 12:15:30 AM »
Great choice!  And there's a lot of research out there worldwide that shows mulberry leaves can replace up to 50% of normal forage so that's a great in feed.
before goats, store bought milk = chevre & feta, with goats, infinite possibilities, goatie love, lotta work cleaning out the barn!

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2017, 12:26:05 AM »
The University of Costa Rica's research show's that the mulberry leaves are as close to a "single perfect" forage source as any one plant can be.  They are also very proud of the fact that they say they have been able to surpass the quantity/quality of milk in their goats when compared to the French as a gold standard.
Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.

Offline botanist

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2017, 09:02:54 PM »
Cool!  thanks for the reference--I'll look that one up.  I've done a bit of digging into the scientific literature on a number of topics for cheesemaking, as well as goat management for impacts on milk.  I'm no microbiologist or chemist, but a retired plant scientist (horticulturalist) and married to a retired Prof of ruminant physiology, indulging in my main retirement hobbies of my dairy goats and cheesemaking.  Nice to chat--tambien, me encantan los quesos de España, además la cultura, la comida, la gente.  Todavía no sé Costa Rica.  Encantada de conocerte.
before goats, store bought milk = chevre & feta, with goats, infinite possibilities, goatie love, lotta work cleaning out the barn!

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2017, 02:13:45 PM »
Bueno, es un placer platicar consigo.


As a horticulturalist, you would go wild here in Costa Rica. It is absolutely incredible to me that you can very literally just shove a branch or twig in the ground from almost any plant and it grows. 
We live on a small hobby farm (finca) and I have the goats, chickens, turkeys (which Costa Ricans call chompipes instead of pavos) guineas, ducks, geese, and of course the requisite dogs and cat.
I'm a retired physician, so my undergraduate degrees in microbiology and chemistry do come in handy with the cheese making.


It's especially nice to know you're working with goat milk for you cheeses. Since it does behave differently than cow milk, it's nice to know someone with whom I can "check my pulse" sometimes.


You're Spanish is great, by the way.

Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Cana de Cabra
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2017, 03:49:08 AM »
Bad News:
I was working on various cheeses today--the Cana de Cabra was progressing very nicely.  I flipped it and put it back in its container and set it aside while I work on other cheeses. 
Then:
EARTHQUAKE
and it fell off the counter and the skin was ripped off in several areas.  And it was progressing well.  We went ahead and ate it.  It was good but not what it could have been had it aged
Guess I know what my next cheese to make will be.

Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.