Recently, a young man in one of my classes asked me how many cheeses there were. Like…how many in ALL? Who could know? Thousands, surely. All I know is that I keep stumbling on new ones, or at least new to me, like this totally loveable goat cheese from northern Italy. I’m crazy for it on its own, but I intend to drape slices on hot polenta at the next opportunity.

The importer, Fresca Italia, calls it Soffice di Capra and began bringing it to the U.S. last summer. It’s a made-up name. You won’t find such a cheese in any reference books. Soffice (SOFF-ee-chay), Italian for soft, describes the tender, delicate, open texture, which, for me, is the cheese’s most compelling feature. Others have described it as similar to Brie or Camembert, but Soffice is nothing like those two French classics. A more accurate comparison—equivalent, really—would be Scimudin, a little-known Lombardy cheese made with cow’s milk, goat’s milk or both.

Soffice di Capra is produced in a small village near Bergamo from pasteurized milk. The importer won’t say who makes it because competition in this realm can be ruthless. Importers have been known to poach each other’s suppliers.

Made in a four-pound square and matured for only about 12 days at the creamery, Soffice di Capra travels to the U.S. by air. Barring delays, it should reach cheese counters well before it’s a month old. I would try to buy it as young as possible and eat it as soon as you can. That moist, airy freshness is a big part of its charm.

Soffice has a thin bloomy rind, like Brie, but the similarities stop there. It has a faint milky aroma, a bit lactic like crème fraiche, but this cheese is not about the aroma. Get it in your mouth. It is moist and creamy, pleasantly tart, a little lemony and perfectly salted.

It is just what I want on an antipasto platter with paper-thin salumi and olives. Slice it and crack some black pepper over it, if you like. A bottle of Arneis, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano or Grüner Veltliner would be ideal with this light, bright, subtle cheese.

Look for Soffice di Capra in Northern California at Andy’s Produce (Sebastopol), Atelier by JCB (Yountville), Big John’s (Healdsburg), Davis Food Co-op (Davis), Gus’s Market (SF), Market Hall Foods (Berkeley and Oakland), Noriega Produce (SF), Oliver’s Market (multiple Sonoma County locations), Oxbow Cheese (Napa), The Rind (Sacramento), Sacramento Natural Foods, Say Cheese (SF), Staff of Life (Santa Cruz) and Sunshine Foods (St. Helena).

NEW! 2020 World Cheese Tour Classes Announced

Please join me for the ninth year of the World Cheese Tour, a monthly series of guided cheese tastings at the beautiful Silverado Cooking School in Napa. You’ll find new class themes this year and, as always, many new cheeses. I rarely repeat a cheese! Come learn more about Spanish cheeses, raw-milk rockstars, or cheese and wine pairing. Find the complete schedule here.