Tricks for Pairing Cheese
Every year some of the best cheesemongers in the country come out to Larkin Cold Storage in Long Island City, New York to compete in the Cheesemonger Invitational to see who is the best in the industry. We went to the competition this year and were lucky enough to chat with some of the mongers who shared some of their cheese expertise with us. This is what we learned:
Q: What are some of the best cheeses currently out there that people are missing out on?
A: Challerhocker and Chiriboga Blue. Challerhocker is an aged cow's-milk cheese from Switzerland that is a hard cheese, but with a creamy, silky texture. This alpine cheese has both a sweetness and nuttiness that is hard to compete with. Chiriboga Blue is great for people who are overwhelmed by other more intense blue cheeses. This cow's milk blue cheese from Germany is more buttery than sharp and has the perfect balance of sweet cream and earthiness.
Q: What is the key to properly pairing cheese with drinks and/or food?
A: There are two ways to pair: complimentary flavors and contrasting flavors. An example of pairing complimentary flavors is by putting a high acid goat cheese with a crisp white wine. In doing this you will actually notice the acidity less and will be able to taste the more subtle, earthy flavors. The other option is to pair contrasting flavors like a salty blue cheese with sweet honey. The two contrasting ends of the spectrum help to balance the overall pairing and make for a delicious bite.
Q: Does beer pair well with cheese?
A: Yes! In fact many cheesemongers will argue that beer pairs better with cheese than wine. Wine has tannin, which is very hard to pair with cheeses because they can be very bitter. By eliminating tannin, you get all the great flavors of the beer without worrying about an overwhelming bitterness. The bubbles from the carbonation of beer also helps to cleanse your palate, allow for each bite of cheese to be it's own fresh experience. Beer and cheese both also have roots in the earth. The flavor of cheese often comes from what the animal is eating, which is grass and barley. Beer comes from barley. It's like they were made for each other!
Q: How long can I keep cheese that I bought and what is the best way to store it?
A: Properly wrapping and storing cheese after it is already open can be tricky, so the best thing to do is to only buy the amount of cheese that you can consume in a two-day period. This way you avoid having to find a way to seal it and keep it cool without drying it out. That said, while storing cheese it is always recommended you keep it cool, but you should bring it to room temperature before serving.
The Perfect Pairing
During one of the rounds of competition the cheesemongers had to pair a cheese of their choice with two additional ingredients to create "the perfect bite". Justin Trosclair of The St. James Cheese Company in New Orleans took home the title of best cheesemonger in America. His "perfect bite" consisted of Flora Nelle Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery in Oregon, atop a ginger snap with a fresh slice of pineapple. While it may sound like an odd combination, it was fantastic and absolutely worth a try at home.
A special thanks to photographer C. Bay Milin for sharing his photo of Justin's winning moment.
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