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!
Our store, Curds&Co. is all about cheese and things that pair with cheese. We are pairing nerds. When you walk in the store we've usually got something delicious up on the case for you to try. But why? Why this crazy obsession with pairing. Simple, we like to make great foods taste even better.
First let's start with an analogy. You go to a club and the music is thumping but the lights are on full—it feels like a grocery store in there. What would make that experience better? Let's turn down the lighting and maybe bring in a disco ball, strobe and maybe even colored lights. You want to pair the lights with the music and the place.
HOW TO PAIR
But how do you do it? How do you know what goes with what?
1. Find things you like. When pairing, you ideally want to start with two things you like and hope that when you eat them together, you'll like them both even more. But sometimes you'll find out you like them both less. Experiment to find flavor profiles you like and then keep trying those foods with different cheeses.
2. Look for inspiration all around you. How do you know mozzarella is going to go well with sun-dried tomatoes? You know that tomatoes and mozz are already friends on pizza. What about cheddar? What would you pair with that? Think of a bacon cheese burger... In one bite you're getting SOUR (pickle), SPICY (mustard and onion), UMAMI (burger), NUTTY (sesame seeds) and you're going to eat that with some SALTY (fries) and SWEET (shake or soda).
3. Use your imagination. Think of blue cheese, now think of a pickle? Do you say yum or not so much? Now think of blue cheese and some sweet and crunchy caramel corn. Lastly, consider blue and spicy? Yes or No? You know Buffalo wings wouldn't be caught dead without the funky salty and creamy cooling addition of blue.
4. Ask a cheesemonger. They have favorite pairings they are just dying to tell you about.
5. Subscribe to curdbox. We've done all the hard work for you and have curated a box each month with cheeses and pairings that all go together. We also include our special pairing cards that help you understand what cheese goes with what flavor profile so you can add in some of your own foods if you want.
No matter what you do, have fun with it. It's not rocket science. You can have one cheese and 10 different pairings or 5 cheeses and 5 pairings. Experiment and try new things and you'll enjoy your favorite foods even more.
