The Perfect Pairing: Italian Cheese and Honey
The delicate and delicious art of pairing cheese and honey has been credited to Roman food connoisseur Marcus Apicius, dating back to as early as 14 AD. His cookbooks included many recipes that simply drizzled honey over soft cottage cheese and cheesecakes. Apicius created a combination that is eaten all over the world 2000 years later.
While you really can’t go wrong between any types of either, it is still essential to understand how to pair Italian cheese and honey effectively for the best taste.
There are over 500 types of Italian cheeses, as well as over 300 types of Italian honey. When pairing them together, there are several ways to match them to accentuate each unique taste and provide the most flavorful bite. The first method is to consider similarities between the two.
For instance, when pairing a mild Italian cheese made with cow’s milk, a great option to go with it can be a sweet and light tasting honey. A great pairing that exemplifies this is ricotta, a soft spreadable cheese served with orange blossom honey.
Flavors that are powerful and intense also compliment each other nicely. A nutty Italian cheese such as Montasio goes well with a honey that has as equally as strong flavor, such as a lavender honey. Finding similarities between cheese and honey can make an excellent blend of taste.
The second technique used is to pair by contrast, meaning the honey and cheese have opposing traits. If the honey is robust and is bursting with flavor, a milder cheese may be a good option to serve it with. If the cheese has a distinct taste and smell, try a lighter and less overpowering honey.
Fontina, which is a gentle and nutty semi soft cheese, is best paired with a more potent truffle honey, contrasting each other’s taste. Honey is not just sweet, as there are many kinds that can be spicy, sour, and zesty. When pairing by contrast, it allows your tastebuds to experience differing flavors.
Another strategy used is to pair by region. Ultimately, if the products grow near each other, they go well together. Overall, having locally sourced products guarantee the best quality and freshness.
Some of the best honeys come from the regions of Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, Sardinia and Abruzzo. In the region of Tuscany, you can find locally sourced cheese and honey. A dark- chestnut honey with a spicy tang can be paired with pecorino, highlighting its earthy taste as well as the kick from the honey.
From the region of Piedmont, try a creamy and smooth gorgonzola with an acacia honey, which is airy and sweet. Both complement the other well.
No matter what method you use, the concluding message is that balance is important. It is about the scale of similar, contrasting, intense, mild, sweet, sour, nutty, and fruity characteristics. Each cheese and honey have unique palates that can create many different tastes based on what is paired.
Especially in Italy, there is no limitation to honey or cheese. Supporting locally made products ensures the best quality while also aids bee-keepers and farmers in regions all throughout Italy.
