Cheese And Orange Pairing: Exploring Unique Flavor Combinations

Citrus fruits are known to be very acidic and sometimes bitter, which can make them difficult to pair with cheese. However, there are some cheeses that go well with oranges, such as blood oranges, which are less tangy and almost savoury. Here are some tips and tricks to help you navigate this tricky pairing.

Blue cheese and blood oranges

Aged, salty blue cheese, such as the French Fourme d'Ambert, pairs well with the sweetness of the blood orange. The salt in a creamy goat cheese caprichio can also polish the sugars in the blood orange and make them shine.

For a refreshing appetizer, try hot toast smeared with brie and topped with marmalade or slices of blood orange and a flurry of kosher salt. The saltiness of the brie and the sweetness of the blood orange complement each other well, and the blood orange is not as tangy as a regular orange.

If you want to experiment with different types of blue cheese and oranges, try pairing creamy blue cheese with chocolate-covered orange peels. The sweetness of the chocolate and the bitterness of the orange peel complement the creaminess of the blue cheese.

Goat's cheese and oranges

A simple way to pair the two is to place a plain slice of goat's cheese (chèvre) with a sweet slice of orange (tangerine, mandarin, or navel orange). If you want to get a little more creative, you can try adding a drizzle of honey, which will calm any bitterness from the orange and act as a "glue" to keep the pairing together in your mouth.

If you're looking for a more complex dish, you can try a beetroot, goat's cheese, and orange salad with candied walnuts. This salad is sweet and savoury, fragrant, and tangy—perfect for spring and summer. Another option is an orange and arugula salad with goat's cheese, almonds, and radishes. This salad is a beautiful and fresh way to brighten up dreary winter days.

Brie and oranges

Although it may seem counterintuitive to pair citrus fruits with cheese, there are some great combinations of the two. One such pairing is oranges with brie. This combination is interesting, pretty, and satisfying.

Brie is a salty and creamy cheese, and oranges are not as tangy as other oranges, almost savoury. Blood oranges, in particular, go well with brie as they need a little salt. The two are also beautiful together on a tray.

To elevate the pairing, try adding a third ingredient: sugar. This is why we often find cheese pairings with preserved citrus fruits, like candied orange peels or sweet orange marmalades, or citrus and cheese baked together in desserts like cheesecakes or baked ricotta tortas. A drizzle of honey will also do the trick to calm the bitterness between the cheese and the orange.

For a simple pairing, try a slice of brie with a slice of orange on a baguette or your favourite cracker.

Avoiding tannic red wines with oranges and cheese

Oranges and cheese can be a great combination, but there are some things to keep in mind to avoid a disappointing pairing. While oranges are a very acidic fruit, which can sometimes be more bitter than sweet, some cheeses can help balance this out. For example, soft goat cheeses or Alpine-style cheeses are a good match for oranges because their relatively mild, tart flavour allows the fruit's natural sweetness to come through. Harder, nuttier, or earthier cheeses, on the other hand, can create an "icky" combination with oranges.

When it comes to wine, tannic red wines should be avoided when pairing with oranges and cheese. Tannins are derived from the grape skins, stems, and seeds used to produce the wine, and they give the wine a dry, bitter, and astringent taste. While tannins are an important component in the structure of red wine, providing "body" and "pucker power", they can have an unwanted effect when paired with oranges and cheese. The lingering effect of tannins on cheese can turn the cheese bitter and leave a negative impression of both the cheese and the wine.

So, what should you pair with oranges and cheese instead? Well, a sweeter wine might be a better option. Orange wines, for example, are made from white grapes using the same process as red wines, which gives them a similar structure and complexity. They have hints of tannin but are generally dry and have a weightier mouthfeel. They can be floral or citrusy, with ripe stone fruit or herbaceous notes, as well as oxidative characteristics of nuttiness, honey, bruised apple, and dried citrus rind. This makes them a good match for bold flavours like strong cheeses, charcuterie, or spiced dishes.

Flavoured cheeses with oranges

While some sources claim that oranges and other citrus fruits do not pair well with cheese, others suggest flavoured cheeses as an exception to this rule.

Soft, fresh goat's cheeses are the most likely to have citrus incorporated into them, either in the form of chunks or blended-in bits. Often, honey is also part of the equation (e.g. honey and orange chèvre). Crumbly white Stiltons and Wensleydales are another common variety of cheese that will come flavoured with chunks of citrus.

Laura Chenel's Grapefruit and Fig Chèvre Medallion is an example of a flavoured goat cheese that pairs well with oranges. The addition of grapefruit and fig tempers the tartness of the citrus and makes the cheese taste more like a creamy dessert than a goat cheese.

Another option is to pair oranges with a flavoured white Stilton. Unlike the tangy flavour of regular oranges, bitter lemons do not fight back when incorporated into white Stilton.

For a sweeter option, try drizzling honey over your cheese and oranges. A drizzle of honey will calm the bitterness between the cheese and its citrus partner and will also act as a "glue" to keep them together in your mouth or on a cracker or bread.

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