When creating a cheese platter, there are some foods that will taste wonderful with your favourite cheese but there are others that will have the opposite effect. As important as it is to know what to pair with cheese, it’s also important to know what not to pair with cheese.
Cheese can be paired with salads, crackers, used on sandwiches, and even some kinds of fruit. One of the main foods to avoid when serving cheese is anything too spicy. Spicy foods and spiced meats, strong mustard, pepper, chutney, and anything along these lines will overpower the flavour of your favourite cheese.
If you serve bread or crackers with your cheese, they should not have a strong garlic or onion flavour. It might work with certain types of cheese but not all which is why it’s best to opt for plain of lightly seasoned breads and crackers.
Cauliflower and broccoli are both even more delicious when served with creamy cheese sauce. They can also be used to make a cheese and broccoli or cauliflower soup. When serving a cheese platter, however, you might not want to pair raw broccoli or cauliflower with cheese. The same goes for celery and carrot sticks.
Fruits like apples, grapes, pears, figs and dried fruit taste scrumptious with cheese. Citrus fruits, however, do not. If you eat cheese along with citrus fruit like oranges, you will feel the cheese curdle in your mouth.
It’s not only about foods, but beverages too. For a cheese and wine evening to dazzle the taste buds, you need to select the bottle with care. The wine should never overpower the cheese nor should the cheese overpower the wine. If you are ever unsure, you can look up wine and cheese pairings online.