A Prideful Goat (photo by Luis C. Tejo, courtesy of morguefile.com)

For outsiders Texas may be the land of big beef steaks and barbecue, but Texan foodies know their state also produces a cornucopia of fine foods and fresh goat cheese is among them. Texas Hill Country is the place where the state’s crafted goat cheese got started; the same part of the state where Whole Foods Market got its start.

Fresh goat cheese, also known as chevre, has a look that's similar to commercially packaged cream cheese, but it has much less fat, approximately half the cholesterol and far fewer calories. As the healthier choice, it has twice the protein along with its distinctively smooth flavor!

In an article in the Dallas Morning News, Tonia Ashworth-Kuesel of Chateau de Fromage says that the goat-cheese industry is really growing in Texas. "Of 22 cheesemakers in Texas," she notes, "17 make goat cheese."

To read the article from the Dallas Morning News on artisanal cheesemakers go to: Texas-made goat cheese is more than a gourmet garnish