Pair Me Up! A Matchmaker’s Guide to Cheese + Pairings

Posted by Julianne Webster on May 17, 2019

This blog post is brought to you by curdbox, our monthly cheese + pairing subscription service. Want to join our merry band of cheese lovers? Head on over to our subscription page to sign up for your monthly box!

As an organizer, I love a good categorical system. Nerdy? Yes… But oh so satisfying! At curdbox we aim to break down the barriers between good people & good cheese so we’ve translated all that fancy “cheese speak” into our own language.

And as for pairings, well you know we love them! We think pairings make cheese just that much more fun and tasty. You’ll recognize the flavor profiles that we use—no need to reinvent the wheel here! In each curdbox, all of the cheeses go with all of the pairings. We’ve built it that way on purpose so that you’re free to explore and have fun with it. There are no wrong choices!

Here are the cheese categories you’ll find in your curdbox & at our store curds & co, along with the flavor profiles that you’ll find in various combinations in each box

The Cheese Categories

	Milky & Mild aka Whey cheese; The most frugal of all, this cheese is created by pulling the last of the remaining protein out of the whey left from other cheesemaking (often mozzarella). The result is a fresh cheese with small curds that can be transformed into savory or sweet dishes. Tasting notes: mellow to tangy, smooth to chunky Examples: ricotta
	Stretchy & Chewy aka Pasta Filata; This cheese surely feels manipulated more than the rest, because it is. After cutting it into curds, it is drained and then warmed up in liquid and stretched a little like taffy giving it a perfect texture for melting or pulling apart. Tasting notes: fresh to milky, smooth to chewy Examples: Mozzarella, Provolone
	Bright & Fresh aka Fresh; Cheese best eaten right away to enjoy the fresh quality—the perfect cheese for the impatient cheese lover. These cheeses have no rind and can be bright, lemony, and refreshing. Tasting notes: lemony to salty, smooth to crumbly Examples: feta, chevre
	Bloomy & Brainy aka soft-ripened; A soft cheese that ripens from the outside in under a brie-like bloomy rind or a wrinkled-brainy rind. Just inside the rind you will likely find a “cream” line that will gradually ripen the whole body of the cheese (paste) for a warm mushroomy or a tangy yogurt-like taste. Tasting notes: tangy to mushroomy, creamy to dense Examples: brie, camembert
	Friendly & Flexible aka Pressed; The staple cheese category for many. A huge category that includes crumbly English cheddar and great Goudas. If you need a cheese for a sandwich, you can't go wrong here. Tasting notes: subtle to sharp, creamy to salty Examples: gouda, cheddar
	Smooth & Melty aka Pressed, Cooked; Includes cheese traditionally made in the Alps that is cooked before being pressed into its shape, making it perfect for melting in fondue with flavor ranges from nutty to caramelized onion. Tasting notes: grassy to nutty, supple to hard Examples: gruyere, parmigiano
	Creamy & Funky aka Washed-rind; Creamy cheeses with a rind that is washed with brine or potent potables. The rind is funky or stinky and the body of the cheese (paste) can range from spreadable to dippable and have a savory umami flavor. Tasting notes: funky to meaty, supple to runny Examples: taleggio, muenster
	Bold & Blue Whether bold in flavor or just bold in look, this cheese is polarizing. Its salty creaminess can be the highlight of a dessert plate or the star on a juicy burger. Some people hate it which makes blue fans happy that they don’t have to share. Tasting notes: sweet to piquant, creamy to crumbly Examples: roquefort, stilton