Cheese and wine have been a complementary palate pair for centuries. A less celebrated, but equally delectable, combination is that of cheese and honey. Sweet and tangy pairings are popular, each highlighting and enhancing the flavor of the other.

Adding a drizzle of raw, all-natural honey from Hawaii over some cheese on a cracker, with fruit, or all by itself will bring you a newfound appreciation for the role honey can play in your culinary adventures.

As with any fine food pairing, there are some guidelines to follow to properly please your palate. Seasonal honeys, made from the nectar of the flowers blooming at that time of year, have distinct flavors, and each works best with certain types of cheese.

• Creamy cheeses, like goat cheese, provide a neutral base for any honey flavor, although we recommend honeys with nutty or fruity overtones. Our Spring Blend honey, with its hints of citrus flavor, is a wonderful choice for pairing with a creamy cheese. The fairly neutral flavor of most creamy cheeses make them a good option for experimenting with several varieties of honey.

• You can create a sweet, tangy, and nutty combination by using aged cheeses, such as a Parmigiano-Reggiano, a Gruyere, or tangy cheddars. To complement the nutty flavors, choose a honey that has richer, nuttier tones, like our Winter blend, which is made from macadamia nut, avocado, and coffee tree blossoms.

• Sweet, tangy and spicy? That’s a trifecta of taste bud heaven. For this combination, find a gourmet pepper jack or jalapeño cheese, or even an ultra-strong Roquefort with a kick, and pair it with a sweet but mild-flavored honey so the flavors don’t compete. We recommend our Paradise Blend.

Honey has concentrated sweetness, so drizzle lightly at first and add more to taste. If you are serving cheese and honey to guests, put additional honey in a dish with a small Honey Dipper so they can add more if they like. Consider putting out a few different honeys so you and your guests can play around with different flavor combinations.

Visit us at Hawaii’s Local Buzz to learn more about our specialty unfiltered honey from Hawaii.

Image Source: Hawaii’s Local Buzz