Goat cheese is a fresh, white and soft cheese, prepared with a reduced quantity of rennet and therefore with a slower coagulation. In the past goat milk was made only with goat's milk, but today this term refers also to cheese made with mixed milk or only cow's milk. Their shape is generally cylindrical, with a variable length and a diameter of about 3 cm.

There are 2 types of goat cheese: the fresh one without rind, which is very soft and has a delicate flavor (to be consumed within a few days of production) and the briefly seasoned type, with a stronger flavor and a superficial fungal flora that appears after about ten days. The second variety is consumed between 25 and 30 days from production. Moreover, there are numerous varieties of goat cheeses which are regionally produced, mainly in the North (those from Valsassina, Val d'Aosta and Liguria are well known).

Goat cheese is excellent simply seasoned with olive oil and pepper (if fresh), or marinated for a few weeks in olive oil, aromatics and chilli; in the second case it can be stored in tightly closed containers, in the least cold part of the fridge.