When You Need a Sweet Treat, Here’s How to Pair Chocolate & Cheese
What’s better than chocolate? Chocolate with cheese! We’ve always loved to pair the two, and it had us asking, why does chocolate pair so well with cheese?
Like wine, tea, and coffee, chocolate contains tannins. Tannins are a type of naturally occurring chemical compound found in plants called polyphenols. They are responsible for bitterness and astringency, that mouth-puckering sensation you can get from acidic foods. Cheese traditionally pairs well with tannin-rich foods, and chocolate is no exception. Tannins bind to fats and proteins, leaving you with a cleansed palate—the hallmark of a good pairing.
Another reason chocolate and cheese are a match made in heaven is because they both release the happy chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, in our brains. They are also both produced through fermentation processes, which lead to their unique and complementary flavors and aromas. Thank you, microbes!
In any case, we’re grateful that cheese and chocolate exist. Keep reading to find out how and why we like to enjoy this divine duo.
Milk Chocolate + 7 Year Proprietor’s Grand Reserve
The combination of smooth milk chocolate and robust 7 Year Proprietor’s Grand Reserve is a delicious example of how flavor opposites attract.
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate + The Indigo Bunting
Decadent, floral, and subtly sweet, The Indigo Bunting’s flavors are complemented by bold and saline sea salt dark chocolate.
Ultra Dark Chocolate + The Rattlesnake
Like a chili-spiced hot cocoa, dark chocolate’s intensity and The Rattlesnake’s spiciness create a harmonious flavor experience.
Orange Essence Chocolate + The MoonRabbit
Anything with orange enhances the unique notes of Chartreuse in The MoonRabbit; orange essence chocolate is no exception!
Chocolate Truffles + The Stag
Fudgy chocolate truffles are well proportioned by The Stag’s rugged flavor and texture.
White Chocolate + Vat 17
Vat 17’s complex flavor profile, tangy notes, and bright acidity balance white chocolate’s sweetness, butteriness, and subtlety.
Almond & Toffee Milk Chocolate + The Fawn
The Fawn’s characteristic nuttiness and delicate toffee notes are a flawless match for almond and toffee milk chocolate.