Being the proud Wisconsin girl that I am, cheese is it’s own food group. People laugh about this but I truly could not live without cheese. Thank goodness I don’t have any issues with it!
Chimay sent me a variety of their Trappist cheeses. What are these? cheese made in the traditional Chimay brewery style, washed with beer and is exclusively made from regional milk, and the Trappist monks have modernized their production operation.
Sounding too fancy for you? It’s not, it is one of the oldest ways of making cheese and you can taste all the flavor from the beer. The complexity from it yet each cheese has unique flavors.
When you are building a cheese board there really isn’t an incorrect way to do it but this is my go to method:
- Pick a great cheese board, I use a slate version
- Make sure you have a good cheese knife
- Add things like crackers, nuts, and other salty/crunchy goodness
- A few sweet options are great, things like dried figs, apricots, dark chocolate, apples
- Honey or Quince paste can add a bit of sweetness as well
- Pick 3-4 different kinds of cheeses, you could stick to one style and compare them or go very different with things like brie, goat, these Chimay cheeses, a nice sharp cheddar, and even hard cheeses like parmesan or asiago.
Cheese can be paired with beer or wine, here are some of my favorites:
- Belgian Style (like Chimay)
- IPA
- Brown Ale’s
- Heavy reds like Syrah or Shiraz
- Cava or Prosecco for a unique flavor profile
It’s all in what you like, I am a big fan of a variety of texture in my cheese. From super soft like brie and goat to hard cheeses like parmesan. Mmmm cheese. It just makes me happy.
