Cheese And Marmalade: Perfect Pairing Or Strange Combo?

Marmalade and cheese is a classic combination in Italian culture. The reason why these two foods go so well together is that they are complementary. Cheese has no sugar, and the sweetness of jams, marmalades, jellies, and honey balances out its flavour. When pairing cheese and marmalade, it is important to consider the type of milk used to make the cheese, as well as its consistency. Fresh and soft cheeses tend to be sweeter, while semi-mature and mature cheeses have a stronger flavour. To achieve the perfect balance, mature and savoury cheeses should be paired with sweeter marmalades, while fresh cheeses go well with more sour varieties.

What types of cheese go with marmalade?

Marmalade is a great companion to cheese, especially the stinkier varieties. The sweetness of the marmalade is the perfect foil to a pungent, overwhelming cheese.

When pairing marmalade and cheese, it's important to remember that strongly-flavoured cheeses pair well with boldly-flavoured marmalades, and the opposite is also true. Mild cheeses marry well with delicately-flavoured marmalades.

• Goat's cheese or chevre is a mild, spreadable cheese that goes well with marmalade. Nearly all marmalades pair with goat's cheese, but some classic combinations include fig jam, cranberry sauce or jelly, and orange, lemon, or grapefruit marmalade.
• Brie is another mild and creamy cheese that pairs well with marmalade. Red fruit marmalades are a good choice, such as strawberry, cherry, or red currant.
• Blue cheese is a strong-flavoured cheese that can stand up to more assertively-flavoured marmalades. Try black currant, peach, or red onion marmalade.
• Gouda is a mild, slightly sweet cheese that is delicious with orange marmalade or plum jam.
• Parmesan is a strong, savoury cheese that pairs well with the sweetness of apricot jam.
• Manchego is a strong-flavoured Spanish cheese that can be paired with blueberry jam or quince jelly (membrillo).
• Mascarpone is a rich, smooth, fresh Italian cheese that is delicious with just about any marmalade. Try pairing it with strawberry jam and shortbread cookies, lemon curd and oat crackers, or raspberry jam and a fresh baguette.
• Epoisses is a pungent, soft, and "stinky" cheese that is delicious with orange marmalade.

When creating a cheese board with marmalade, it's a good idea to choose a diverse range of cheeses, from soft to hard, and mild to strong. Adding a goat or sheep's cheese is also recommended.

What types of cheese go with orange marmalade?

When creating a cheeseboard, it is important to select a diverse range of cheeses, from soft to hard, mild to strong, and perhaps include a blue-veined cheese. One source recommends including at least one goat or sheep's cheese.

A general rule of thumb is that strongly flavoured cheeses pair well with strongly flavoured jams, and the opposite is also true: mild cheeses marry well with delicately flavoured jams.

Orange marmalade is a good pairing with fresh cheeses that have a soft texture and a sweet flavour, such as ricotta, Camembert and mascarpone. It also goes well with the following cheeses:

• Gouda
• Jarlsberg
• Monterey Jack
• Semi-aged Pecorino
• Epoisses

What types of cheese go with lemon marmalade?

Lemon marmalade is a great condiment to serve with cheese, especially fresh cheeses with a soft texture. Here are some suggestions for cheeses that go well with lemon marmalade:

• Ricotta – This fresh cheese is a classic pairing with lemon marmalade. Its soft texture and sweet flavour are perfectly balanced by the sour taste of the marmalade.
• Burrata – Another fresh cheese with a soft texture that goes well with lemon marmalade.
• Robiola – This cheese is recommended to try with lemon marmalade for an unusual pairing.
• Mascarpone – A rich and smooth Italian cheese that is less tangy and more spreadable than cream cheese. It has a mild, creamy flavour that pairs well with lemon marmalade.
• Mozzarella – A mild-flavoured cheese that can be paired with lemon marmalade, especially if you are making a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Goat's cheese – A spreadable, smooth cheese with a tangy flavour that pairs well with lemon marmalade.
• Brie – A mild-flavoured, luxurious cheese that goes well with most jams, including lemon marmalade.

When serving cheese with lemon marmalade, it is best to serve the marmalade in a separate bowl with a spoon to avoid double-dipping. This will also help to keep the marmalade fresh for longer. It is also recommended to serve the cheese and marmalade with accompaniments such as artisan bread, crackers, or fresh fruits.

What types of cheese go with grapefruit marmalade?

When it comes to pairing cheese with marmalade, the general rule is that strongly flavoured cheeses pair well with boldly flavoured marmalades, while mildly flavoured cheeses work better with more delicate preserves.

With its bitter and tangy notes, grapefruit marmalade is a particularly bold-flavoured marmalade. As such, it is best paired with strongly flavoured cheeses. One source recommends pairing grapefruit marmalade with a sheep's milk cheese. Another source suggests that goat's cheese, or Chevre, is a good match for marmalades, including grapefruit.

If you are looking for a cheese to pair with grapefruit marmalade, you might consider Ossau-Iraty PDO, a sheep's milk cheese recommended by one source to accompany grapefruit and smoked salt marmalade.

For a more adventurous pairing, you could try Epoisses, a pungent, peppery, soft cheese, which has been described as a "stinky cheese". This combination of grapefruit marmalade and Epoisses has been used to make canapes and grilled cheese sandwiches.

For a more delicate pairing, you could try a fresh, spreadable goat's cheese, or Chevre, which has a tangy flavour that will be complemented by the grapefruit marmalade.

What foods can accompany cheese and marmalade?

When creating a cheeseboard with marmalade, it is recommended to use 4-6 varieties of cheese, including a diverse range of soft to hard cheeses, mild to strong-flavoured, and at least one blue-veined cheese. It is also suggested to add at least one goat or sheep's cheese.

Marmalade is a great addition to a cheeseboard, as its sweetness balances out the savouriness of the cheese. It is best to serve the marmalade alongside the cheese, rather than mixed together, so that the flavours can be enjoyed separately and together.

Some specific cheeses that go well with marmalade include:

• Blue cheese
• Brie
• Camembert
• Cream cheese
• Epoisses
• Goat's cheese
• Gouda
• Jarlsberg
• Monterey Jack
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Pecorino
• Roquefort
• Stilton

Some other foods that can accompany cheese and marmalade on a cheeseboard include:

• Artisan bread or baguette
• Crackers
• Fresh basil or ginger
• Fruits, such as apples, persimmons, pears, figs, pomegranates, grapes, etc.
• Dried fruits, such as apricots, cherries, or figs
• Nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds
• Olives or olive tapenade
• Mustard
• Honey
• Wine or beer
• Black walnuts
• Smoked almonds
• Preserved meats
• Smoked fish

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