White Egret Farm

Hours vary; visitors encouraged to call A drive into the hills surrounding town should be proof enough for anyone that goats have come to Texas to stay and sent the cattle off to graze on the "back 40." You say you're not crazy about cabrito? Nevermind. At White Egret Farms in East Austin, a Grade-A raw goat milk dairy, those turf-munching mammals produce a mean milk that farm owner Lee Dexter and her staff turn into an exceptionally flavorful and versatile cheese.

What distinguishes White Egret's cheese from that of other Texas brands is its full, unadulterated flavor. White Egret cheeses, like France's famed fromages au lait cru, are not pasteurized and are 100% natural, made from unprocessed, naturally homogenized milk. As Dexter, a microbiologist who has been raising goats since 1973 explains, White Egret's milk meets or exceeds all the standards of pasteurized milk using cleanliness instead of pasteurization. The farm is inspected monthly by the Texas Department of Health and the bacterial content of White Egret's milk is less than that of typical milk-processing plants. All of the farm's cheeses (hard, soft, and vegetarian varieties are available) are aged for at least 60 days. An excellent value and rare treat that can be enjoyed alone or used in cooking, look for White Egret at Whole Foods Market. Or better yet, drive out to the farm for a tour. Visitors are welcome. -- Rebecca Chastenet de Gery