Cheese Pairing: Finding The Perfect Match For Your Dish

Cheese is a beloved food product, with over 2,000 varieties produced worldwide. It is typically made from cow's milk, but can also be made from the milk of other mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camels, and yaks. The process of cheesemaking was discovered around 4000 years ago when people started to breed animals and process their milk.

There are many different types of cheese, which can be classified based on various criteria, such as moisture content, texture, production method, fat content, animal source of milk, and region of origin. The International Dairy Federation recognizes around 51 varieties, while other sources identify over 1,000 types.

Some common categories of cheese include hard, semi-hard, semi-soft, soft, fresh, blue, and processed cheese. Hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan, are pressed for days to weeks to remove whey and compact the curd, resulting in a strong flavor and low moisture content. Semi-hard cheeses, like Colby and Monterey Jack, have a lower moisture content and are molded and aged under pressure. Soft and fresh cheeses, such as Cottage Cheese and Cream Cheese, are not pressed and have a high moisture content, making them spreadable. Blue cheeses, including Gorgonzola and Roquefort, are known for their distinct blue veins and assertive flavors, created by the addition of penicillium mold. Processed cheese, on the other hand, is made by combining and heating natural cheese, resulting in a consistent product with specific characteristics.

Mozzarella, Gruyere and vintage cheddar are great on toasties

Mozzarella, Gruyere, and vintage cheddar are great choices for a toastie.

Mozzarella is a good choice for its melting qualities and its stretch, but it has a mild flavour so it's best to combine it with another cheese for taste. Gruyere is a great choice to pair with mozzarella as it has a nutty, salty taste and it melts well. It's also a good choice for a grown-up grilled cheese when combined with cheddar.

Vintage cheddar is another excellent option for a toastie. It's a classic, perfect for melting, and comes in mild or moderately sharp variations. It's a popular choice for a traditional grilled cheese sandwich.

When making a toastie, it's recommended to use freshly grated cheese rather than pre-sliced or pre-shredded cheese, as this will give a smoother, more even melt. It's also important to note that soft cheeses should be handled carefully as they melt quickly.

For the bread, a good-quality, thick slice of sourdough is a great option. It's versatile, works well with most hot sandwiches, and holds up well during cooking. Other options include white, whole-grain, granary, or thinly sliced sourdough.

To cook the toastie, butter both sides of the bread and place it in a preheated skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat. Let it toast for about a minute, then flip one slice and pile on the cheese. Place the other slice on top with the toasted side in contact with the cheese. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted.

Now you have all the information you need to make a delicious toastie with mozzarella, Gruyere, and vintage cheddar!

Brie is a good choice for burgers

When it comes to choosing a cheese for your burger, there are many options to consider, each with its own unique flavour profile and melting properties. One excellent choice is Brie.

Brie is a soft, creamy cheese with a mild flavour that pairs beautifully with the other components of a burger. It has notes of crème fraîche, cultured butter, and sometimes hints of mushroom and cabbage, adding a touch of earthy umami to your burger. Its creamy texture becomes gooey and melt-in-your-mouth when heated, creating a delightful sensory experience.

Brie's mild flavour means it won't overpower the other ingredients in your burger, but rather complement them. It goes well with beef, as seen in recipes like the Président® Brie Burger, where it is paired with bacon and caramelized onion jam, or the Brie Burger with Caramelized Onions and Sundried Tomatoes. It also works well with ground turkey or chicken patties, providing a juicy, savoury contrast.

When adding Brie to your burger, it's best to place the slices on top of the patty about a minute before it's finished cooking. This allows the cheese to melt fully and gives it time to get extra gooey and creamy.

So, if you're looking for a cheese that will take your burger to the next level, Brie is an excellent choice. Its mild flavour, creamy texture, and melting properties make it a perfect addition to enhance the overall taste and sensory experience of your burger.

Parmesan, Asiago and sharp cheddar are great on pizza

Parmesan, Asiago, and sharp cheddar are great on pizza. In fact, a blend of these three cheeses is a popular choice for those looking for a more interesting cheese with good meltability. Asiago is a soft to semi-firm cow's milk cheese with a flavour and texture that can vary depending on its age. It can be sliced, shaved, or grated, and a little goes a long way. Parmesan, a hard and aged cheese, is less willing to melt, but when combined with Asiago and sharp cheddar, it becomes soft and meltable. Sharp cheddar has a sharp, nutty, and rich flavour, and holds up well as it cools, remaining soft and pliable.

When making a pizza with Asiago, it is recommended to place it underneath mozzarella as Asiago can brown more easily. For a pizza with a gentle flavour, such as mushroom and bell pepper or black olives and onions, a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, and sharp cheddar can provide a more interesting cheese option without sacrificing meltability.

For a healthy, homemade pizza, you can top your pizza with black bean mixture, tomato salsa, chopped mild green chillies, diced cooked chicken, and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Bake it in the oven until the cheese begins to colour, then sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Avoid dry crumbly cheeses like feta or cotija in mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food, and the type of cheese you choose can make all the difference. While there are many types of cheese that would work well in a mac and cheese dish, dry crumbly cheeses like feta and cotija are best avoided.

Feta is a briny, salty cheese with a rich and creamy texture. It is traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk, though cow's milk feta is also available. Feta is a versatile cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes, but it is not ideal for mac and cheese. This is because feta does not melt easily, and its dry, crumbly texture can make it difficult to incorporate into a smooth and creamy mac and cheese sauce.

Cotija is a Mexican cheese with a similar texture and flavour profile to feta. It is made from cow's milk and has a rich, milky texture, but it does not melt. Instead, cotija is used as a topping or garnish, adding a burst of salty flavour to dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and nachos.

For a successful mac and cheese, it is important to choose a cheese that melts well and blends easily into a sauce. Some good options include cheddar, gouda, Monterey Jack, and American cheese. These cheeses have a creamy texture and a strong flavour that will stand up to the other ingredients in the dish.

Additionally, when making mac and cheese, it is important to consider the ageing of the cheese. Younger cheeses tend to be softer and melt more easily, while aged cheeses have a stronger flavour and a more crumbly texture. For the best results, a combination of young and aged cheeses can be used to create a complex flavour profile and a smooth, creamy sauce.

Blue cheese can be overpowering on burgers

Blue cheese is a popular choice for cheeseburgers, but it can be overpowering. Its strong, pungent flavour can overwhelm the other ingredients in a burger, and it may be too intense for those who are not fans of very strong flavours.

Blue cheese has a unique, pungent taste that can be too much for some people. It is often described as overpowering, and it can take over the other flavours in a burger. This is especially true if there is too much blue cheese on the burger. A little bit of blue cheese goes a long way, and it can easily become too much.

However, blue cheese does have its fans, who appreciate its strong flavour and tang. It is a common choice for cheeseburgers, often paired with high-end bacon and other rich ingredients. Some people like to stuff their burgers with blue cheese, while others prefer to crumble it on top.

When adding blue cheese to a burger, it's important to consider the other ingredients and not let the blue cheese overwhelm them. A milder cheese, such as mozzarella or American cheese, might be a better choice if you want the other flavours in your burger to shine.

Ultimately, the choice of cheese comes down to personal preference. Blue cheese can be a delicious addition to a burger, but it's important to use it in moderation to avoid overpowering the other flavours.

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