Food and Drink Pairings to Avoid with your Cheese

Cheese pairings are something that has to be carefully thought of so that the taste will be heightened and not diminished. This way, you’ll be able to appreciate the taste of the cheese while highlighting the flavors of both components equally. Here, we’ve got the rundown on the types of food you should generally stay away from when it comes to cheese.

Acidic or citric fruit types

Different kinds of fruits go very well with cheese, including grapes, apples, pears, and more. However, fruits that have a high acid makeup, such as oranges, pineapples, grapefruits, and others, are not very ideal on a cheese platter. This is because these types of fruits result in a tart taste for your cheese. As a result, you’ll get a bitter taste instead of the real experience of the cheese’s flavor.

Some types of vegetables

Not all types of vegetables are compatible with cheese. If you’re going to pair your cheese with vegetables, make sure you go for those with mild flavors. Stay away from such veggies as green beans, broccoli, carrots, and others, which have strong vegetal flavors. These would work well on an appetizer platter but would not be so good when paired with cheese on its own.

Bread or crackers with onion or garlic flavors

Onion and garlic are known to taint the taste of cheese when bread and crackers with these flavors are used for pairing. This could hinder your experience with your cheese, with lingering tastes of the onion and garlic sticking to your palate. To enjoy your cheese fully, steer clear from foods with these flavors, as they have undertones that don’t go well with cheese when paired.

Spicy food

Spicy food has a way of overwhelming the taste of the cheese. Goat cheese would go well with ultra-spicy hot pepper jelly, but other types of cheese may not be ideal for spicy things. If you’re the type of person to want spicy things, it may be a good idea to steer clear of them when pairing with cheese.

Such food items as pickled food with spicy accents, spicy meats, pepper flakes, and others, may be delicious and enticing for the spice lover, but these are not good for cheese pairing. This is because the taste will stay longer with your palate, obstructing your experience of the cheese.

Red wines with tannin

Aside from citrus fruits, tannic red wines also produce a bitter taste for cheese when paired. Tannin has an undesirable effect on cheese that tends to linger longer, so you might not get to enjoy the experience of your cheese and wine.

Cheese is best enjoyed when paired with the right types of food that complement its taste instead of overwhelming it. These food and drink types are best avoided for this reason. Enjoy your cheese the right way by keeping these disagreeable pairings in mind and sticking to the right types of food.

Sophie White is a self-confessed foodie and a blogger, with a special penchant for natural cheese. Her love for cooking is only comparable to her keen eye for fashion. She considers herself an amateur cheese connoisseur. With her passion for high quality and authentic cheese, she currently partners with Sargento, a top real cheese producer in Wisconsin.