Ringo Starr, the Beatles’ longtime drummer, has a favorite sandwich that couldn’t be simpler: cheese on bread. But the cheese has to be a specific kind.
During a 2021 appearance on “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert asked Starr what he considered the best sandwich. “I don’t have a lot of them anymore, but cheese,” Starr said, before adding a key detail. “But it has to be goat cheese now.”
When Colbert pressed him on the goat cheese preference, Starr offered his own theory for avoiding cow’s milk products. “I don’t eat anything from the cow because the molecules are so big. Have you seen a cow? The molecules are so big. And that’s why if you drink a glass of milk, you’re full. With a goat, it’s a good size for our bodies,” he said.
Starr’s molecule explanation isn’t scientifically established, though there are real differences between goat and cow milk. Research shows goat milk generally has a higher proportion of smaller fat globules than cow milk, along with differences in fat and protein composition. Those factors, plus how the proteins form curds during digestion, may influence how each type of milk is digested.
Goat cheese is also known for a tangy, earthy flavor and is commonly paired with sweet ingredients like fruit and honey or savory additions such as prosciutto.
Recreating Ringo’s Sandwich
Content creator @domenicskitchen, who runs an Instagram series recreating musicians’ favorite sandwiches, took on Starr’s version. The recipe called for toasting two slices of bread in butter, then spreading them with soft goat cheese and grated goat cheddar.
The video drew a range of reactions. “This sounds incredible,” one Instagram user commented, suggesting additions like “salt and pepper, tomato and some thin slices shallot.” Another simply wrote, “This looks awesome.” A third urged Starr on: “Why doesn’t he have a lot of them anymore? Go for it, Ringo!”
Some commenters were surprised the sandwich wasn’t melted into a traditional grilled cheese, while others said the unconventional approach fit Starr’s reputation. “I wonder if Ringo will ever do or enjoy one normal thing in his life,” one person wrote.
Others weighed in on Starr’s molecule theory, with one commenter noting, “Goat milk fat molecules are smaller and finer than cow’s milk, makes it easier to digest.”
@domenicskitchen has also recreated other musicians’ favorite sandwiches, including Little Richard’s peanut butter, banana and honey on white bread fried in butter, Alan Jackson’s pineapple and mayonnaise on white bread, and Dolly Parton’s pimento cheese on white bread.
