Top 5 Catalan Goat Cheeses

Formatges Betara is a Catalan artisan cheese producer based in Olost, near Barcelona, with its cheese factory in Perafita. The company makes goat, sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, including organic-certified products.

Its cheeses are matured with the air of the Pyrenees, which gives them a regional character and a taste closely connected to the Lluçanès area. Betara produces both pasteurized cheeses and raw milk cheeses, preserving a more traditional expression of Catalan cheesemaking.

The company received organic producer status in 2009 and has developed a range that includes matured cheeses, fresh cheese, mató and yogurt. Betara is known for combining rural tradition, careful milk selection and artisanal methods with an increasingly international presence.

Its products have won recognition at global cheese competitions, including medals at the World Cheese Awards. Expand

Formatges Muntanyola is an artisanal cheese producer based in Sant Salvador de Guardiola, at the foot of the Montserrat mountain range in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia. For more than 30 years, the company has been crafting handmade cheeses from goat, buffalo, cow, and sheep milk, combining traditional cheesemaking techniques with high-quality local ingredients.

Operating from the Urpina estate, Formatges Muntanyola is part of the Ampans Foundation, a social enterprise that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities and vulnerable backgrounds. The producer is recognized for its slow and careful production process, allowing each cheese to develop distinctive aromas, textures, and flavors. Expand

Formatges Camps is an artisanal cheese producer based in El Palau d’Anglesola, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. Founded by brothers Robert and Toni Camps, the company combines traditional cheesemaking techniques with a strong commitment to quality and local dairy heritage.

Specializing in cheeses made from goat’s, sheep’s, and cow’s milk, Formatges Camps produces a diverse range of handcrafted varieties, including soft-ripened, blue, semi-cured, and aged cheeses. The dairy has earned a reputation for using carefully selected milk and slow maturation processes that allow each cheese to develop its own distinctive texture and flavor profile.

Several of its products, such as Palauet, Crisembert, Blau del Nét, and Lligat d’Ovella, have received recognition at prestigious international competitions, including the World Cheese Awards. The company is particularly valued for its focus on raw milk cheeses and its ability to combine traditional Catalan cheesemaking knowledge with contemporary craftsmanship.

Through small-batch production and meticulous attention to detail, Formatges Camps has become one of the most respected artisan cheese producers in Catalonia, contributing to the growing international recognition of the region’s cheese-making tradition. Expand

Mató is a sweet, unsalted, unfermented, fresh cheese produced in the Spanish region of Catalonia. It is traditionally served as a dessert with honey or jam, known as mel i mató. In Catalonia, the cheese is regularly sold when only a day or two old, when it is turned out of the shallow baskets in which it has been drained. Visually, mató is reminiscent of ricotta, curd cheese, or cottage cheese. In the past, the cheese was made with goat's milk because no one could afford to buy a cow, but today it is made with cow's milk as well. Mató was extremely popular during the Middle Ages, when it was either made plain or flavored with orange flowers.Expand

Sarró de Cabra is a traditional cheese produced in Moia near Barcelona. It's made from pasteurized goat's milk and usually ages for 2 months. Sarró de Cabra is typically wrapped in a napkin that gives the cheese a distinctive shape. Underneath its cloth-wrapped rind, the texture is semi-soft and buttery. The aromas are mildly sweet, while the flavors are strong, intense, tangy, and citrusy.Expand

Bauma Carrat is a Spanish cheese hailing from Borreda. The cheese is made from goat's milk and it's usually left to ripen from 15 to 21 days. This aged fresh cheese has a black ash rind, and underneath it the texture is smooth, soft, and creamy. The flavors are goaty - distinct, but not too strong. It's recommended to serve Carrat with ripe tomatoes and the famous Catalan escalivada. Pair it with a glass of fruity white wine such as Alella.Expand

Nevat is a Spanish soft-ripened cheese originating from Catalonia. It was created by Josep Cuixart in the village of Vilassar de Dalt. The cheese is made from goat's milk of Murcia and Grenadine goats. Their milk is high in fat and retains the flavors of rosemary, olive, and thyme on which the goats feed. The cheese has a bloomy rind that's imprinted with the shape of a cloth in which the curds have been drained. Larger versions of the cheese are shaped into a peaked mountain, while smaller versions are shaped into small disks. When fully mature, the texture is soft and almost runny, while remaining slightly firm near the center. Younger cheeses have a firmer texture. The flavors are milky, clean, bright, with hints of citrus and sweetness, with a slightly salty finish. The name of the cheese comes from a Catalan word for snow, referring to its rind and shape.Expand