Lāloo goat ice cream

I’ve been wanting to buy Lāloo goat ice cream for about a year, but every time I reach for the half-pint the sticker shock dissuades me. Seven dollars is a lot to pay for ice cream, even if it comes from goats frolicking in Sonoma, CA in fields of “green grass and thistle berry in the warm Pacific breeze.” I haven’t decided if it’s cute or annoying that these goats have a better life than most of us, but there is something comforting about knowing the food you eat comes from a happy, healthy place. Also, the word on the street from cheesemakers I’ve spoken to is that raising goats is a little like having an entire herd of newborn babies, so if someone’s going to go through the trouble of raising goats, milking them, & then churning ice cream, they probably deserve every penny of that seven dollars.
As I get a little older and spoon-feeding myself Ben & Jerry’s is less of a pleasure and more of an instant stomachache, I’ve been keeping my eye open for ice cream that is a little more friendly to the digestive system. Lāloo Goat milk ice cream is exactly that. Goat’s milk is slightly lower in lactose than cow’s milk, which makes it easier to digest for the lactose intolerant crowd. Some people who think they are lactose intolerant are actually allergic to cow’s milk. The protein people are allergic to is not found in goat’s milk (or human milk). Goat’s milk is also naturally lower in fat and naturally homogenized, meaning the fat globules are small and remain suspended in the milk rather than separating out, again making it easier to digest. In cow’s milk, the fat globules are large enough that they will separate from the liquid. You may have noticed this before when you buy cream and have to shake it before pouring it so a lump of cream doesn’t drop into your coffee.

The flavor of Lāloo ice cream has none of the tanginess you might expect from goat's milk and tastes pretty much the same as cow’s milk. The main difference is the texture. The lower fat in goat’s milk is evident in the somewhat icy, rather than creamy, mouth-feel. I tried the Deep Chocolate flavor, but for me, chocolate is rarely at its best in a low-fat setting and it tasted a little cocoa-powder like. I recommend trying a flavor that will shine with less fat, such as Black Mission Fig, Strawberry Darling, or Lemon Chiffon. The line is sold at many natural food stores and larger gourmet grocery stores, and you can even get a coupon for $1.00 off if you visit the Lāloo website.