The sweetness of honey brings out the best of so many cheeses, and it will seriously delight your tastebuds. Once you try it, you may never want to serve a cheese board without honey again, let alone eat cheese and crackers. Here are some of our favourite honey and cheese combinations
How to pair honey and cheese
There are plenty of sweet and salty combinations to try here, so if you love cheese like we do, its great to experiment. In general, when pairing honey with cheese, the ideal is to find the right balance between sweet and salty, strong and mild flavours, where the honey and cheese work together in harmony, without overpowering one another. You can start with the intensity of the honey: is it light and delicate (wildflower or acacia honey), golden and mellow (blueberry honey, raspberry honey) or rich and intense (like buckwheat). Then, you can match with cheeses that are complimentary (i.e. mild honey with mild cheese or intense honey with intense cheese) or contrasting (i.e. mild with strong, intense with mild). Add a crusty baguette, fruit (apple slices, grapes, figs, strawberries), and nuts for delightful texture.
A few mouthwatering honey and cheese combinations to try
1. Honey drizzled over Brie
Perfect for a special occasion, drizzle honey over a creamy Brie or Camembert cheese and enjoy with fresh baguette. Grapes, figs, and walnuts add an additional level of texture and flavour that makes this combination hard to resist.
2. Wildflower Honey, Sharp Cheddar, and Green Apples
This no-fuss combination is especially popular with our 6 year old son and makes an easy, healthy afternoon snack. Drizzle a little wildflower honey on a thin slice of green apple or a Vinta cracker, and top with a slice of St.Albert's old cheddar
3. Blueberry Honey and Blue Stilton
The hints of woodsy blueberry flavour in blueberry honey complement a well-balanced blue cheese like Stilton. Pears and pecans go great with this combination.
4. Buckwheat Honey and Gruyere
Gruyere's full-bodied nutty flavour and firm texture stands up to the bold rich flavour of Buckwheat Honey.
Take your cheese board to the next level with honey
It's hard to go wrong when combining honey's sweetness with the creamy saltiness of cheese. You can experiment and mix and match them on your next cheese board, but choosing a variety of cheese and a few different honeys. A mix of fresh and dried fruit, nuts, and cured meats like prosciutto and salami are all welcomed additions. For a show stopping garnish, add a little square of honeycomb (we usually have this available in mid summer...when it can be frozen to saved for a holiday appetizer or special occasion).
