Andy Montoya
Blue cheese is a divisive food — people either love it or hate it. For those who love it, finding the perfect pairing can elevate the dining experience. Blue cheese has a bold, sharp, and tangy flavour with grassy notes and hints of mushroom. Its unique taste can be paired with a variety of foods, from sweet fruits to savoury meats. Mustard is a condiment with a strong flavour that can be paired with cheese, but does it go with blue cheese?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Blue cheese texture | Creamy, crumbly, buttery, or crumbly |
| Blue cheese flavor | Bold, sharp, tangy, spicy, pungent, salty, sweet, earthy |
| Blue cheese pairings | Fresh fig, pear, apple slices, dried fruits, walnuts, chutneys, jams, honey, truffle, chocolate, sherry, ports, stouts, wine, grapes, apricots |
| Mustard type | Sweet, spicy, grainy, tangy, peppery, mustardy |
| Mustard pairings | Wisconsin Brick cheese, goat cheese, cheddar |
| Blue cheese and mustard pairing | Not mentioned |
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What You'll Learn
Blue cheese and mustard: a harmonious match?
Blue cheese is a flavour powerhouse with a bold, sharp, tangy and spicy flavour profile. Its pungent taste and creamy texture can be intimidating to pair with other ingredients. However, the right pairings can create a harmonious and delightful culinary experience.
Mustard, with its many options for sweet and sour flavours, can be a fun pairing with blue cheese. When pairing mustard with blue cheese, it is essential to consider contrasting flavours and textures, as well as regional overlap. For example, a Wisconsin cheese pairs well with a Wisconsin mustard. In Burgundy, France, at least two cheeses are made with mustard: the Délice de Pommard and Brillat-Savarin. The tangy, peppery, and mustardy notes of these cheeses work well with the creamy richness of the mustard.
When pairing blue cheese with mustard, it is important to consider the intensity of both ingredients. If you have a mild blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola Dolce or Danablu, it may be overwhelmed by a strong mustard. Similarly, a young, barely aged cheddar would not pair well with a spicy stone-ground mustard, as the mustard would overpower the subtle cheese. On the other hand, a strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Stilton can stand up to a strong mustard, and the combination of tangy and sweet or buttery and savoury flavours can be appealing.
To create a harmonious match, consider the balance of flavours and textures between the blue cheese and mustard. The bold, pungent taste of blue cheese can be complemented by the sweetness of honey mustard, especially with a strong blue cheese like Roquefort. The earthy crunch of walnuts, with their nutty undertones, can also be a good pairing with blue cheese, creating a dynamic mouthfeel and a harmonious blend.
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Blue cheese's bold, tangy flavour
Blue cheese is a flavour powerhouse with a distinctive blue-green marbling. It is known for its bold, sharp, and tangy flavour with grassy notes and hints of mushroom. The specific type of blue cheese, the aging process, and the production methods involving particular moulds all contribute to its complex flavour profile. The amount of blue mould in the cheese also affects its flavour, with fewer pockets of mould resulting in a milder, sweeter blue cheese.
Blue cheese can range from mild and creamy with a slight tanginess to bold and pungent with a sharp, salty flavour. Some common flavours found in blue cheese include earthy, nutty, and spicy notes. For those who crave an intensely flavoured blue cheese, Cabrales from Spain delivers a sharp, tangy, and slightly acidic taste. Its deep blue marbling and pungent aroma indicate its strong and complex flavour profile, perfect for adventurous palates.
When it comes to pairing blue cheese, the key lies in balance, texture, and a solid base. Fresh fruits are an excellent choice as they offer natural sweetness and a refreshing contrast to the richness of the cheese. Traditional pairings include slices of fresh fig, pear, and apple, dried fruits, walnuts, chutneys, some jams, honey, and chocolate. The sweetness of the fruit slices through the pungency, creating a lovely harmony.
For those who prefer a crisper, more refreshing pairing, dry white wines are the way to go. These wines cut through the richness of the blue cheese, leaving your palate feeling clean and refreshed. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay are popular choices. On the other hand, fruity red wines add a richness and depth to the blue cheese, creating a luxurious and velvety texture. Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah are fantastic options for a more indulgent pairing.
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Mustard's heat and sweetness
Blue cheese is a robust and pungent delight, with bold, sharp, and tangy flavours. It can be a little intimidating to pair with other ingredients, but the key to unlocking its full flavour potential lies in balance, texture, and a solid base.
Mustard, a combination of ground mustard seeds and some form of liquid, can add a kick to blue cheese. The level of heat in a given type of mustard is largely determined by the style of seed—yellow seeds are mild, while brown or black seeds have a lot more heat. The natural enzymes found in mustard are only activated in the presence of water, so the liquid used plays a crucial role in determining the potency of the mustard.
For those who like their mustard on the sweeter side, honey mustard is a popular choice. It typically combines mustard and honey in a one-to-one ratio, resulting in a mild and sweet flavour profile with little heat. This variety is excellent for those who want the spicy kick of mustard without being overwhelmed by the heat. Honey mustard is a versatile condiment that can be used as a dip for finger foods like chicken nuggets or chicken fingers, or in salad dressings and sauces.
For a more intense experience, spicy brown mustards use a coarser grind and often include additional spices like ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon. These mustards pack a punch and can be an excellent pairing for blue cheese, creating a flavour combination that is both exciting and addictive.
The heat of mustard can also be balanced by its sweetness, as in the case of sweet hot mustard. This variety offers a delightful blend of heat and sweetness, awakening your taste buds. The sweetness comes first, followed by a lingering heat that is milder than that of hot peppers or buffalo wings but more akin to wasabi. This type of mustard is perfect as a spread or dipping sauce for charcuterie boards, adding a touch of spice and sweetness to your favourite meats and cheeses.
In conclusion, mustard can be an excellent pairing for blue cheese, offering a range of flavour profiles to suit different tastes. From the mild and sweet honey mustard to the spicy kick of brown mustard, and the balanced sweet hot mustard, there is a variety to suit every palate and elevate the bold flavours of blue cheese.
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Regional overlap: a golden rule of pairing
When it comes to the world of cheese and mustard pairings, one essential principle to keep in mind is the concept of regional overlap. This idea suggests that combining products from the same region can lead to a harmonious culinary experience.
Consider the example of a Wisconsin cheese paired with a Wisconsin mustard. By sharing the same terroir and cultural food habits, these two ingredients create a flavour profile that is uniquely complementary. This concept of regional overlap is so highly regarded that it is often referred to as one of the golden rules of pairing.
In Burgundy, France, this rule is exemplified by the creation of at least two cheeses made with mustard: the Délice de Pommard and Brillat-Savarin. The tangy, peppery, and mustardy notes of these cheeses are said to work in perfect harmony with the creamy richness of these Burgundy specialties. This combination showcases how the flavours of each ingredient can enhance each other when they share a regional connection.
When applying the principle of regional overlap to blue cheese and mustard pairings, one can imagine the potential synergy between a blue cheese and a mustard from the same area. For instance, a sharp Wisconsin cheddar, known for its bold flavour and strong personality, could be an ideal match for a spicy, grainy mustard with a strong presence of its own. The key is to look for complementary flavours that enhance each other rather than create a jarring contrast.
While other factors such as texture, balance, and personal preference also play a role in successful pairings, the regional overlap rule provides a solid foundation for creating delightful flavour combinations, especially when dealing with strong and distinctive ingredients like blue cheese and mustard.
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Balancing blue cheese's richness
Blue cheese is a robust and pungent delight, but its bold, sharp, and tangy flavour can be intimidating to pair with other ingredients. The key to unlocking its full flavour potential lies in balance, texture, and a solid base. When dealing with a strong flavour like blue cheese, it’s essential to find ingredients that provide a balancing act.
Fresh fruits are an excellent choice to balance the richness of blue cheese as they offer natural sweetness and a refreshing contrast. The sweetness of fruit slices cuts through the pungency of the cheese, creating a lovely harmony. Try pairing crumbly blue cheese with juicy grapes or tangy apples. Stronger blue cheeses also pair well with apricots, which beautifully balance savoury and sweet elements. The creamy texture and gentle sweetness of Gorgonzola Dolce or Danablu are a perfect match for the crisp and succulent bite of green pears. The vibrant green of the pears also stands out against the marbled blue cheese, making this pairing a feast for the eyes.
If you're looking for more indulgent pairings, dark chocolate is a harmonious pairing that brings together the rich, bittersweet notes of chocolate with the robust flavours of blue cheese. This unexpected symphony of tastes captivates the palate. Another option is to pair blue cheese with raw honey, blending the distinct profiles of sweet and savoury in perfect harmony. The contrasting textures of crumbly cheese and smooth honey add a delightful complexity to the experience.
For those who prefer a more refreshing pairing, dry white wines are the way to go. These wines cut through the richness of the blue cheese, leaving your palate feeling clean and refreshed. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay are popular dry white wine options that will elevate your blue cheese experience.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue cheese is a flavour powerhouse with bold, spicy, tangy and pungent flavours. It can be paired with a variety of fruits, such as pears, apples, apricots, grapes, and figs. It also goes well with honey, walnuts, chocolate, and stouts. Blue cheese can be paired with savoury meats like a grilled steak or chorizo.
When pairing mustard with blue cheese, it is important to consider contrasting flavours and textures. If your blue cheese has black pepper or Sriracha, you can pair it with a sweet-tinged mustard. A grainy mustard goes well with a smooth blue cheese.
Combining products from the same region is one of the golden rules of pairing. For instance, a Wisconsin cheese with a Wisconsin mustard. It is also important to use fresh mustard as it loses its intensity over time.
The complex spiciness of a blue cheese like Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne goes well with the sweetness of raw honey. The contrasting textures of crumbly cheese and smooth honey add a delightful complexity to the experience.
The creamy texture and gentle sweetness of a mild blue cheese like Gorgonzola Dolce or Danablu go well with the crisp and succulent bite of green pears. The vibrant green of the pears also stands out against the marbled blue cheese.
