When you think of French ingredients, what are some of the first foods or ingredients to come to mind? For many people it's cheese, and certainly the French are well known for their love of cheese.
If you're on the lookout for French ingredients then cheese is likely to be one of the things high on the menu, but if you haven't yet considered whether the French know something you don't about gourmet ingredients such as goat's cheese then it might be worth taking note of a few important points.
Unfortunately for many people eating cheese or in fact any dairy product causes real problems.
Lactose intolerance is not something that's terribly pleasant.
For anyone with a lactose intolerance dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt cannot be digested by the body, and so they just sit there.
Milk and cheese doesn't tend to do too well when left to sit in a warm damp place, such as your gut, and so tends to go off rather quickly.
This then causes all sorts of intestinal problems and is, quite frankly, unpleasant to say the least.
This is a real shame for those people who actually like cheese, but here's the first point to take note of as far as traditional French ingredients are concerned.
In the UK we use a very high proportion of cow's milk, including for our cheese.
However, just because we tend to use cow's milk a lot doesn't mean that globally the same is true.
In fact globally more people use goat's milk than cow's milk, and this includes the French.
You'll find that when it comes to gourmet ingredients the French prioritise goat's milk over cow's milk, and this is something worth taking note of.
Whether you're lactose intolerant or just looking for a healthier option, goat's cheese is a real opportunity.
Many people who are lactose intolerant have tried goat's milk and goat's cheese and discovered that not only is it delicious, but that it doesn't have the same effect on their gut.
But besides being a real alternative for those people with a dairy intolerance there are other key benefits to goat's cheese.
Plenty of people drink cow's milk thinking that it's full of calcium.
This is true, but unfortunately if you drink semi skimmed or skimmed milk the high levels of calcium are of no benefit.
It's the fat content in the milk which enables your body to absorb the calcium, but with goat's milk or goat's cheese you can enjoy the high levels of calcium in an easier and more natural way.
Not only that but often cows are fed on a diet laden with drugs and antibiotics, which ends up in the milk.
Goats are not fed on the same sort of diet, and their milk is therefore much purer than cow's milk.
So from the point of view of a lactose intolerance, health, cleanliness or of course taste, this is one of the many traditional French ingredients which should be seen merely as one of the gourmet ingredients you can take advantage of only on special occasions.
Goat's cheese doesn't have to be expensive, or hard to find.
If you can't find it at your local supermarket then try online, as there are no plenty of online retailers selling a range of French ingredients, and goats' cheese will almost certainly be among them.
Look out for things such as Crottin De Chavignol which is a fresh, moist cheese which has a light tang, and isn't too creamy - ideal for a first try.
For a fuller, richer flavour you are recommended to try the Valencay Pyramid Goats' Cheese, which is rolled in charcoal and has a really rich flavour, quite unlike any cheese made from cow's milk.
Finally I would also recommend Selles Sur Cher which recently won the World Cheese Awards' Best French Goat's Milk Cheese, and is usually delivered in its own crate.
French ingredients aren't just for gourmet addicts - they could represent a healthier alternative for many people.