You heard that right. It’s a thing, and it’s good.
“While some people may find it odd, (cheese and coffee) actually complement each other very well,” says West Coast cheese expert Daniel Menkens for specialty cheese company Murray’s Cheese, which distributes rare and artisan cheeses from around the world to groceries and specialty shops (including QFC, Fred Meyer and Ralph’s) across the Northwest and throughout the U.S.
Complement, sure. But both in one product? Check out Sartori Cheese’s Espresso BellaVitano, brought from Wisconsin to the Northwest by Murray’s to appeal to discerning espresso and specialty food enthusiasts region-wide. The espresso-rubbed rind adds rich bitterness to the sweet-creamy body of each Espresso BellaVitano cheese wheel, which sell for $300 a pop.
Though it’s not a long-established combination, it makes sense that espresso and cheese flavor pairings are becoming increasingly popular locally thanks to the widespread availability of high-quality options of both.
Want to experiment with the flavors yourself? Make your own combinations. For caramel-tones, floral African coffees—anything from Slate Coffee Roasters’ Aricha Yirga Cheffe to Tony’s Coffee’s Rwanda Gitesi—Menkens recommends “a butterscotchy gouda, like Cypress Grove Midnight Moon.”
For earthier, chocolatey Sumatras, like Idaho Roasting Company’s Sumatra Mandheling, try a sweet, soft cheese like Oregon’s Tumalo Farms Fenacho. Says Menkens: “the Fenacho has fenugreek seed in it, which makes it seem like you are eating candy.”
With stronger cheeses, especially smoked options like Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue or River’s Edge Up In Smoke chèvre, try “a dark, deeply roasted bean from South America,” says Menkens. And one of his personal favorites? “The true classic, Parmigiano Reggiano, and pair it with a double espresso and a lemon rind. The mixture of the saltiness of the Parmigianino Reggiano and the citrus of the lemon really bring out the strong flavors of the fresh espresso.”
Happy tasting!
