For every dish, there's a perfect cheese. With a wide variety of types, textures, and flavors, cheese pleases different palates and pairs well with countless recipes, from sandwiches, salads, snacks, cakes, pasta, pizzas, risottos, and desserts. However, with the rush of daily life, we tend to always put the same types in our grocery basket. Let's explore special cheeses to enhance our recipes.
How to use specialty cheeses
Recipe
The visit arrived unannounced, hunger struck in the middle of the afternoon, the weather threatened rain, the kids were asking for sandwiches, you wanted to organize a formal dinner – regardless of the occasion, cheese is always a good option. Without much difficulty, it's possible to transform simple recipes and create complex flavors by exploring the gastronomic potential of cheese.
Hold on a minute! It's not about putting cheese – as your heart dictates – on every dish. An intense cheese, for example, can overpower the flavor of a light dish. That's not what we want; we're looking for perfect harmony. To achieve this, three factors need to be considered:
- Types of cheese: there are fresh, soft, semi-aged, high-aged, and blue cheeses. It's also worth considering the origin of the product, whether it's cow's, goat's, or buffalo's milk. Fresh and soft cheeses tend to be milder. Long-aged cheeses have more concentrated flavors.
- Flavor: Cheeses have different flavors and intensities. There are saltier, sweeter, fruitier options, with hints of nuts, spicy and smoky. A good way to become familiar with the flavors is by trying them. The easiest combination is by similarity, for example, intense cheeses with red meats, fresh cheeses with salads.
- Function in the recipe: this is a very important factor. You need to define what the function of the cheese will be in your recipe. For pizzas, hot sandwiches and gratins, choose cheeses that melt, such as cow's milk mozzarella and Gruyère. Hard cheeses are great for grating and add texture to doughs. Creamy cheeses pair well with sauces.
Gastronomy is about feeling, experimentation, and playfulness. Appreciate the characteristics of cheese. Learn about the product's origin, the characteristics of its maturation, its aromas, taste and try different recipes. Your kitchen will become much more cheerful and flavorful.
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10 special cheeses to enhance your recipes
Specialty cheeses require longer maturation times, specific temperature and humidity conditions, lactic bacteria, and delicate production methods involving washing, brushing, and scraping. This careful work results in unique flavors and textures. Below, learn about the characteristics of these cheeses and tips for their use:
Brie cheese
Recipe
Known as the king of cheeses, Brie originates from France. It has a soft paste, creamy texture, and a velvety white rind. The mold present during its maturation process, which lasts between 25 and 40 days, gives it a slightly ammoniacal aroma and buttery flavor.
A brie pastry with pepper jelly is a refined snack. The cheese is also great in puff pastry, bruschetta, toast, risotto, salads, and sandwiches. For dessert, baked brie with blackberries. It pairs well with champagne, red wine, and light beer.
Emmental cheese
Recipe
A Swiss cheese with a fruity flavor and a hint of almond. Emmental has a yellowish paste, regular holes, and a brushed rind. It completes its maturation in approximately 90 days.
When it comes to fondue, Emmental is among the favorites. It adds a special touch to white sauces. It melts in sandwiches and becomes very creamy in risotto. In a four-cheese sauce, it harmonizes perfectly with Gouda, Gruyère, and a touch of Gorgonzola. To drink, light beer, dark cachaça, and white wine.
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Gouda cheese
Recipe
One of the most popular Dutch cheeses in the world, Gouda is a medium-aged cheese, ready to eat after 60 days of maturation. Produced with cow's milk, it has a soft texture, yellowish paste, medium-sized holes, and a mild, slightly fruity flavor.
With its excellent melting and creaminess, Gouda is ideal for sauces and soups. It also pairs well with hamburgers, fondue, risottos, lasagnas, chicken fricassees, and fillings. It's one of the must-have options on a cheese board. To complement it, try white wine, strong beer, and whiskey.
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Gruyère cheese
Recipe
Also of Swiss origin, Gruyère has a creamy texture and a sweet flavor, with notes of nuts and honey. It has the typical holes of Swiss cheeses. Its maturation lasts around 120 days. On a cheese board, it pairs well with apple, white grapes, and strawberries.
Its creamy texture is perfect for fondue. Surprise your guests in the kitchen by adding Gruyère to soufflés, shepherd's pie, and quiches. A Gruyère sauce pairs well with red meats, but it's also divine with shrimp. It melts beautifully in gratins and sandwiches. It harmonizes well with dark cachaça, strong beer, and red wine.
Kingdom cheese
Recipe
One of the first aged cheeses produced in Brazil, Reino cheese has a yellowish color, firm texture, dense interior, and a slightly spicy flavor. It is usually sold in a ball shape. Its minimum maturation time is 45 days.
A chicken with potato and cheese sauce melts in your mouth. The cheese also pairs well with candied fruits, dried fruits, Romeo and Juliet (guava and cheese), sandwiches, and red meats. To complement it, red wine and strong beer are recommended.
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Steppe cheese
Recipe
From the Russian steppes, Steppe cheese is slightly yellowish, with a soft texture, a mild, fruity, and sweet flavor. It has a long maturation period, resulting in small holes and a semi-hard rind. A must-have on any cheese and wine platter.
Want to make your sandwich more sophisticated? Try adding Estepe cheese. Versatile, this cheese also pairs well with pizza, sauces, pasta, pies, polenta, and potatoes. To complement it, try white wine, light cachaça, and strong beer.
Plate cheese
Recipe
A Brazilian cheese, unctuous, with a creamy texture and a slightly sweet aroma. Very common in national cuisine, this cheese resembles mozzarella, but is less fatty and has a more pronounced flavor. Its maturation lasts between 25 and 60 days.
A pizza with cheddar, gouda, and parmesan cheese is irresistible. It also pairs well with grilled cheese sandwiches, cornbread, omelets, fried bananas, soufflés, pies, sauces, and pasta. During happy hour, it goes perfectly with light beer. On a cheese board, it calls for a light red wine.
Parmesan cheese
Recipe
Parmesan is a cheese of Italian origin, highly cured, with a granular texture and intense flavor. It has a compact paste, a yellowish color, and a thick rind. Aging requires a minimum of 6 months, however, maturation for 8 to 12 months is recommended.
The origin of Parmesan cheese says a lot about the type of dish it best complements: pasta! Perfect for grating, it's the condiment for finishing touches. Add it to salads, risottos, soups, and cheese bread. A modern culinary touch calls for crispy Parmesan as an accompaniment. It pairs well with dark beer, aged red wine, and whiskey.
Provolone cheese
Recipe
Another Italian cheese that has won the hearts of Brazilians. Provolone undergoes a smoking process, gaining an intense and very characteristic flavor. The minimum maturation time is 60 days. The longer it is cured, the stronger its spiciness.
Anyone who enjoys bar food knows that provolone and salami make a great pair. The cheese can be grated to finish dishes. It's great for stuffing fried dumplings, pies, and potatoes. It can be used to finish sauces and accompany Parmesan on cheese bread. It pairs well with light beer, red wine, and whiskey.
Gorgonzola
Recipe
A traditional member of the blue cheese family, Gorgonzola has a very distinctive flavor, a creamy texture, and blue veins. Originating in Italy, its strong aroma has conquered the culinary world. Its production process takes around 90 days.
Without a doubt, gorgonzola deserves a place on a cheese board. It pairs well with red meats, enhances the flavor of sauces, and is a great filling for cold sandwiches and roasted tomatoes. For a more adventurous option, try a gorgonzola cheesecake with pears. It also harmonizes with dark beer, dark cachaça, and red wine.
On shopping day, you already know: put the special cheeses in your basket. Your kitchen will be much more flavorful and aromatic. To organize a special dinner, the tip is to bet on pairing cheeses and wines . A sophisticated and practical duo that delivers a complete experience.
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