Cheese. Undoubtedly one of my favourite words (and foods). Knowing which cheeses to buy, whether for a tasting party or just for snacking, can feel like a challenge. Today, there are so many styles and flavours to choose from, but luckily, buying cheese, whether in-store or online, doesn’t have to be daunting.
WHERE TO BUY CHEESE
Hitting up a dedicated cheese shop—or a specialty store, food co-op, or gourmet grocer with a dedicated cheese counter—is one of the best ways to source great cheese and get an education, too.
Cut-to-order shops typically offer samples, which can be a great way to broaden your cheese horizons. A staffed counter also gives you the chance to ask the cheesemonger questions about different varieties in their case. Don’t be shy—it’s their job to guide you to the perfect wedge!
If there’s no cheese shop in your area, you can still pick up quality cheese at a variety of price points. Some supermarket chains, like Morrisons, feature staffed cheese counters, so take time exploring these sections.
Fresh, cut-to-order pieces are generally better quality, but pre-cuts will do in a pinch. The same goes for cheeses you might use for cooking or baking, like parmesan. You’ll get better flavour and a longer shelf life if you buy a hunk and grate it yourself, but pre-shredded or pre-grated work too.
As you’re shopping, you might wonder: Are some cheeses healthier than others? Contrary to popular belief, cheese isn’t unhealthy. But depending on your needs (or the needs of those you’re serving), some cheeses may work better than others. Learn how to build a healthy cheese plate.
HOW TO PAIR CHEESE
With its captivating flavours, textures, and aromas, cheese is one of the most exciting foods we eat. Pairing that cheese with drinks and other foods like fruit, nuts, charcuterie, preserves, and honey can take those intriguing sensory qualities to new heights.
But finding the “correct” cheese pairing can sometimes feel fraught. Choose the wrong bottle or the wrong accompaniment, so the conventional wisdom goes, and you’ve turned what should have been a delicious moment into an unpleasant experience.
Well, we’re here to let you in on a little secret: there’s no right way to pair cheese! Sensory experiences are extremely subjective, and the whole point of eating cheese is to engage in something pleasurable and enjoyable. The correct cheese pairing is one you enjoy. You just need a few simple tips to start choosing delicious cheese pairings. Here are our guidelines for matching cheeses with other food and drink.
CONSIDER INTENSITY
One way to Categorise cheese families by flavour is on a spectrum from least intense to most intense. Fresh, light-tasting cheeses like chevre are at one end of that spectrum, while pungent, tongue- popping blue cheeses are at the other. Bloomy rinds, washed rinds, natural rind cheeses, Alpines, cheddars, and Goudas would fall somewhere in the middle, roughly in that order (and depending on
age—older wheels tend to be more intense than younger ones).
Think about the flavour of the cheese you want to pair with. Where does it fall on that intensity scale? Seek out pairings with a similar intensity. This will ensure that the cheese won’t drown out the accompaniment and vice versa.
For example, a light, refreshing Kolsch or pilsner beer is less intense, while a deep, dark porter is much more intense in flavour. In terms of accompaniments, foods like French breakfast radishes, Asian pears, and honey are less intense, while jam, dried figs, and dark chocolate are much more intense. The former three would be great pairings with chevre, while the latter three are classic to serve with strong blue cheeses.
PLAY WITH COMPLEMENTARY AND CONTRASTING FLAVOURS AND TEXTURES.
Let’s keep thinking about that salty blue cheese. While a full-bodied, dry red wine can go well with blue, sweet pairings—the opposite of that salty cheese—tend to work really well, too. That’s why we reach for things like dried fruits, dark chocolate, or port wine to pair with blue cheese.
LOOK FOR ACCOMPANIMENTS FROM A SIMILAR REGION.
Geography can be a useful tool to guide us to great pairings. Just like wine, artisan and specialty cheeses are an expression of terroir—the unique taste of place that comes from factors like soil, climate, breed, feed, and ageing environment.
This is why soft-ripened goat cheeses from France’s Loire Valley are traditionally paired with Sauternes—the wine is grown in that region, too. Spanish wines and Spanish cheeses, Italian wines and Italian cheeses, and so on.
This principle extends to English artisan cheeses, too. Source from a regional cheesemaker and a local brewer or a local winery. Hit up the cheese stand at your local farmers’ market, then grab some seasonal fruit from a neighbouring table to enjoy along with it.