Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan Inc. is the one-stop-shop for your goat-based needs in the Okanagan. From a herd of only 40 they produce enough milk for around twelve different cheeses, various gelatos, and sundry other goat-related produce.
The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species and have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In 2011, there were more than 924 million live goats around the globe, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
The artisanal (is there another kind?) cheeses ran the gamut from mild and creamy to extreme goatiness, especially their "Goatgonzola" which, while delicious, left your mouth feeling a little like you'd licked a goat. But at Carmelis you don't lick the goat, the goat licks you! At least, the friendlier ones do, because most of the goats affected a detached manner, as you'd expect from the professionals they are.
Want to see some goats? Of course!
Hello.
Assessing the livestock.
Getting the feel for a good goat.
A literal goat smorgasbord.
Shortly afterwards we moved on, and normal service was resumed.
