Soft Cheese

About

Many soft cheeses are eaten young and retain fresh dairy flavors, from the clean milkiness of mozzarella and cottage cheese to the richer creaminess of Brillat-Savarin and Corsican brocciu. Bloomy cheeses such as Brie and Camembert taste buttery when young but grow more pungent, earthy, and vegetal as they age. Fresher, younger soft cheeses pair well with salty and fruity flavors, particularly berries, while more aged types are especially harmonious with earthy ingredients like mushrooms and truffles.

Pairs well with soft cheese

• FrTomatoMozzarella and tomato is a classic pairing, best served with ripe tomatoes and genuine buffalo mozzarella or burrata (a pouch of…
• SuGarlicGarlic and herb Boursin, launched in the late 1950s by Francois Boursin, was inspired by the older tradition of serving soft cheese with a…
• SpCinnamonA common American pairing despite seeming mismatched, most famously in Cinnabon's cream-cheese-frosted rolls, which use the stronger…
• FrAppleYoung Brie or Camembert sliced thin alongside apple tastes like apples with cream.
• EaMushroomA ripe Camembert eaten at room temperature carries a mushroomy, straw-like aroma produced by the same Penicillium camembertii mold that…
• GrAvocadoMozzarella is a classic avocado pairing; when made without gums or fillers, both share a mild, milky sourness, with mozzarella's…
• BrAnchovySalty anchovy cuts through the mildness of soft cheese.
• EaCeleryCelery's refreshing, faintly bitter, anise-tinged quality suits a cheeseboard, and it shares flavor compounds with walnut, another classic…
• FrStrawberryStrawberries carry buttery, creamy and subtly cheesy notes, which helps explain why they pair so naturally with cream and cheesecake; they…
• EaEggplantThough sometimes considered a mismatch, grilled eggplant wrapped around soft mozzarella works well in practice.
• MuCaperWhole capers stirred into rich cream cheese make a simple spread; small French nonpareil capers, prized for their fine, radish-like…
• FrGrapeGrapes with young, buttery Brie form a classic British sandwich pairing.
• BrSmoked FishLox (technically brine-cured rather than smoked salmon) and cream cheese became a staple of Jewish-American cuisine after Russian and…
• SuTruffleTruffle's aroma is often compared to garlic and cheese, and washed or bloomy-rind cheeses like Brie de Meaux and Saint Marcellin are…
• SpBasilBasil's flavor combines notes of clove, cinnamon, mint and anise, making it something like the herbal equivalent of allspice.
• FfFigIn Syria, fresh figs are eaten for breakfast with bright white soft cheese, or cooked down with sugar into a rough jam.
• GrBell PepperIn Corsica, brocciu, a ricotta-like sheep's-milk cheese sometimes blended with goat's milk, is a staple served with fruit and jam,…
• MaCaviarCaviar is traditionally served with non-metal spoons, such as mother-of-pearl or plastic, since silver or steel can affect its flavor, and…
• BeBlack CurrantSharp, slightly bitter black currants balance the richness of cheesecake; a quick version can be made by spreading cream cheese on a…