"CheesePairing" news and stories

Deliciously juicy crisp apples and pears – just some of the fruits we associate with autumn – make especially tasty cheese pairings. Their crunchy texture and sweet taste enhance the flavors of many cheeses, ranging from spicy creamy blues, like Vaquero, to nutty Alpine cheeses, including Gruyère and Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Since this blend of tastes and textures works so well, it would seem as if the cheese options were limitless. However, after eating a large number of cheeses, we discovered that the ones which work best are those with complex flavor profiles that do not overwhelm the palate.

Some of my first memories of eating artisanal cheese come from the French family I lived with in Tours, France. Before ending the meal with a dessert, my host mother would serve one or two cheeses without any condiments. At first, it seemed strange eating the cheese plain with a fork, sometimes with bread and almost never with fruit or honey. But after a month, not pairing cheese became normal. When I returned to the U.S. after a year, I was surprised and intrigued by the American obsession with cheese pairings.

What is it about American food culture that tempts us to eat more than one food at a time? It's as though our insatiable desire distracts us from enjoying simplicity. While managing the cheese shop Formaggio Essex it became my job to pair cheeses with different crackers, honeys, jams, and much more.

I have to admit that I fell for the "American desire" to add more. After several months of tasting cheeses with different condiments, I quickly developed a talent for pairing. While I think pairing is an important skill, especially in cooking, I believe it's still important to return to a less elaborate cheese course. Often, the intensity of a cheese can only be appreciated when tasting the cheese plain.
Learn when to pair and when not to pair after the jump.