Cheese

About

This category spans hard, soft, washed-rind, and blue cheeses made from various milks, as well as vegan cheese, using well-known varieties as representative examples. Soft, fresh cheeses have a lactic tang and herbal notes that pair well with sharp fruit and herbs and contrast nicely with sweet root vegetables; goat cheese follows the same pattern and also pairs with spicy partners like coriander seed, anise, and watercress. Aged cheeses develop nuttier, richer flavors suited to heavier, fruitier, umami-rich pairings. Blue cheeses favor rich, port-like fruit and pair less often with vegetables. Washed-rind cheeses work well with plain bread or crackers, and are complemented by spices like cumin or garlic.

Pairs well with cheese

• FfHoneyHoney's sweetness, weight, and cling make it an especially good match for cheese - fat in the cheese spreads the sweetness through the…
• SpPeppercornIn cacio e pepe, cracked (rather than ground) black pepper and salty, fatty cheese balance each other - the fat helps carry the pepper's…
• SuCornCorn and cheese appear together across cuisines: grits with cheddar and polenta with Parmesan in the US and Italy, nachos, Colombian…
• MuMustardMustard's cruciferous tang famously cuts through rich meats like beef and sausages, and works similarly well against rich, fatty cheese,…
• CrRaisinRich, dark fruit cake studded with raisins and currants pairs well with tangy, creamy cheeses like Lancashire or Wensleydale, the fruit's…
• CrDateDates with cheese - feta, aged Gouda, or Gorgonzola - alongside bread, tomatoes, and honey make a simple, satisfying combination in the…
• FrPlumBlue cheeses such as Oregon's Rogue River Blue pair well with fruit compotes, and plums, in season around the same time the cheese is…
• GrFennelFennel's anise-like flavor suits sheep's cheeses such as pecorino; a Sardinian dish layers blanched fennel, breadcrumbs, and fresh…
• CrPrunePrune's rich, fortified-wine-like sweetness pairs naturally with cheese, especially blue cheese.
• GrBuckwheatCooked into a porridge or polenta-like dish, buckwheat takes well to cheese much as corn polenta does.
• GrKaleKale's sturdy, bitter leaves hold up well to thick dressings, grated Parmesan, and croutons in Caesar-style salads, and to salty garlic…
• EaRyeRye bread was traditionally used to cultivate the Penicillium mold that gives Roquefort its blue veins - loaves were left to go moldy in…
• BeCranberryCranberry and blue cheese (Stilton, Roquefort, Gorgonzola) is a long-established pairing, referenced as far back as Edward Lear's poem…
• WoOatCheese with oatcakes is a traditional pairing from the Lake District of England, noted since at least the nineteenth century as a supper…
• EaBarleyBere, an ancient landrace barley from Orkney, is dried over a peat fire before milling into beremeal, giving it a dark, smoky flavor; the…
• EaBlack beanBlack and brown beans pair well with cheese in a way white beans generally don't.
• EaFava beanFresh, young fava beans with pecorino cheese, bread, and olive oil is a classic simple pairing, traditionally eaten outdoors in Rome on…
• SpFenugreekDried fenugreek leaf has sweet, musty notes of celery and tarragon that can taste surprisingly like salted licorice when mixed into cream…
• WoPecanPecan tassies are small pies with a cream-cheese crust and pecan filling.
• WoPine nutPine nuts have a naturally spicy flavor that pairs closely with Parmesan - some vegan Parmesan substitutes use pine nuts for this reason.
• GrSpinachSpinach and cheese appear together across cuisines: French dishes braise spinach in cream with grated Swiss cheese and wrap it in a crêpe;…
• GrLettuceButtery, mildly bitter lettuces pair naturally with cheeses of similar character - a soft, buttery Brie with a simple garden salad is a…
• GrGreen teaGood matcha has a nutty flavor softened by a chlorophyll-like sweetness that suits lighter cheeses well; sencha green tea pairs…
• WoPistachioCassata, the traditional Sicilian dessert, combines nuts and cheese with citrus, pistachios, and sheep's-milk ricotta; candied fruit and…
• GrSorrelSorrel's sour juice can be used to coagulate milk in cheesemaking, and the leaf pairs especially well with light, fresh cheeses - a creamy…
• SuChiveChives have a sharp, oniony bite suited to tangy cheeses such as goat cheese, feta, Gouda, and cream cheese; chive cream cheese is a…
• FrTamarindWorcestershire sauce, which contains tamarind, adds a fruity sharpness that cuts through melted Cheddar particularly well when grilled on…
• WoWhole grain riceRed rice, a Bhutanese staple, traditionally accompanies the national dish ema datshi, made from chilies and yak's cheese; it's also paired…
• BeElderberryA tart, lightly sweetened elderberry preserve or jelly complements goat cheese well, and its deep, port-like flavor pairs even better with…
• SuLeekLeeks and cheese appear together widely: leeks layered with goat cheese in a terrine, charred and dried leek greens ("leek ash") used with…