I'll be the first to admit that I think cheese pairs with... basically everything. I know that there are rules to pairing cheese with meat, herbs, and beverages, but I'm not about to turn up my nose at say, a slice of smoked Gouda or a plateful of fresh burrata just because I don't have the right charcuterie or accoutrements. (Fact: cheese tastes better when you add French words.)
Happily, the rules tend to be fairly loose, and it's really all about your personal enjoyment.
You can try contrasting textures -- say, a melty prosciutto with a hard cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can try pairings from the same part of the world -- yep, there's that prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano again. You can contrast flavors, like pairing spicy sausage with a mild cheese, or you can pair like with like.
To my tastebuds, what takes meat and cheese pairings to the next level is a third element: acidity, and more specifically, acidity from fruit. Acidity works to cut through the fattiness of all of that meat and cheese you're eating, which makes fresh or preserved fruit a refreshing guest on any plate.
For this video, we partnered with Smucker's ® Fruit & Honey to engage in one of my favorite activities: stacking jam and cheese and meat on toast in various combinations, drizzling it with a bit of honey... and eating it, of course. Check out our video to get inspiration for your next cheese platter.
This post is sponsored by Smucker's ® Fruit & Honey.
Image: Katie Cropper Klein / Bustle
