Pairing two of our favorite food groups: cheese and chocolate. Both of them are comforting, cravable and delicious, so each Valentine's Day we bring these two together in new and irresistible ways.
Firstly, here are some principles to use when pairing cheese and chocolate:
- Milk chocolate likes buttery, milky cheeses, like brie.
- Pair complementary flavors you like in other foods, like nutty with fruity or sweet with salty.
- Match intensities. Partner bold cheese with bold chocolate or mild with mild.
Three pairings to try:
Triple crème cheeses with chocolate truffles
Brillat Savarin with Guyaux French Chocolate Truffles
Luxurious triple crèmes are the perfect date night cheese as they melt in your mouth with their buttery, salty decadence. Paired on the palate with a silky chocolate truffle, the combination melts into a luscious chocolate cream. The sweetness from the chocolate and saltiness from the cheese elevate the nuances found in both.
Aged Gouda with spiced chocolate
Beemster XO 2-3 year aged Gouda with Ritual Gingerbread Spiced Chocolate
What we all love about a big, bold, extra-aged Gouda is that it hits all the flavor profiles: salty, sweet, nutty and sharp. A perfect chocolate pairing for this cheese is something equally as bold in intensity. Try it with chocolate with added spice or flavored with concentrated dried fruit or roasted nuts. We've paired the Gouda with a Ritual 70% Gingerbread Spiced chocolate bar. The warming spice flavors and aromas round out the nutty sweetness of the aged Gouda, bringing out the best in both.
Blue Cheese with Dark Chocolate
Point Reyes Farmstead Bay Blue with Mitica Chocohigos Hand-Dipped Dark Chocolate Figs
This is a delicious pairing that also takes texture into consideration. Bay Blue has fruity and nutty aromas and flavors with a fudgy texture. The crunchy seeds of the figs marry with the cheese's pronounced blue veins. The dark chocolate and caramel quality from the baked figs soften the intensity of the blue mold, resulting in a crème brûlée effect.
Find your match
We hope these inspire you to create your own delicious, or even daring pairings. Start with your favorite cheese at the Cheese Counter and ask yourself what you love about it. The texture? The complexity? The intensity? Then apply the same characteristics to the chocolate you choose and share with the person you've chosen to pair up with—the cheese to your chocolate!
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