Playing with flavors and textures in various combinations. Pairing is all that and much more, and to start, we invite you to experience a different version of coffee with milk.
The art of combining flavors from different foods and drinks is one of the concepts of gastronomic pairing. The most common, however, is to find menus paired with wine or special beer, but today's invitation is to savor unusual versions of two Brazilian passions: coffee and cheese!
Before experimenting with different coffee profiles with national and imported cheeses, barista Daniel Munari advises that consistency is necessary when testing. According to him, there are two possible approaches: by the potency of the drink (intense or not) or by its sensory characteristics (sweet, bitter, acidic). "By potency, I suggest pairing by similarity: the more intense the coffee (e.g., espresso), the stronger the cheese. This way, neither overpowers the other," he explains. If the chosen path is based on the sensory profile of the drink, the suggestion is pairing by contrast. Example: saltier cheeses with sweeter coffees and sweet cheeses with acidic coffees. A combination that doesn't fail is: for aged or salty cheeses, go for espresso; for fresh or soft cheeses, go for filtered coffee. According to the barista, these two combinations will always work. The flavor of espresso (or more intense coffees) balances with the equally intense flavors of these cheeses with a lot of personality and vice versa. "Lighter coffees go well with more subtle cheeses. It's interesting to do sensory experiments and opt for antagonistic flavors: sweet and salty, sweet and acidic," he advises.
This exercise of combining different types of coffee with cheeses will help you build your sensory library even further. Tasting means stopping to appreciate what is being consumed. Each bite or sip should be carefully savored and analyzed with care.
Another exercise is to taste the coffee and cheese individually and only then in pairs: coffee to cheese and then cheese to coffee, triangulating the appreciation of the combination. You will see that the sensations in your mouth will change!