The pandemic had us trying all sorts of exotic and yet simple coffee recipes. The Dalgona coffee had even coffee non-believers obsessed over what a few drops of hot water can do to instant coffee.
The relationship between coffee and cheese is quite a long one and interestingly, this recipe is used widely throughout the world. The Scandinavians and South Americans have been doing it for quite some time now and yet this trend has not really picked up in America. Have we even tried it? Perhaps someone in Wisconsin gave it a shot at some point?
While the idea of coffee and cheese may sound wild, it is not far from the basics: coffee and dairy. Without further ado, let’s look into how to eat and drink coffee and cheese.
The Scandinavians call the coffee and cheese pairing: Kaffeost, which translates to Finish squeaky cheese. It is a mature cheese that won’t fully melt in the hot coffee, but it will soften and become somewhat chewy. You could let the cheese simmer in the coffee and then scoop it out and spread it over bread. Your new spread is soft enough to melt over your bread and very flavorful.
When it comes to the best pairings between cheese and coffee the opportunities are almost endless, as the exchange of flavors between cheese and coffee is quite intense. If you are serving it for friends I would suggest you do a platter and let people play around with the possibilities, but as a general rule, mature cheeses are the way to go. You can go for the sweeter cheeses or I personally enjoy the smoked cheeses as they pair so well with dark roasts.
The coffee will absorb the fats and flavors of the cheese, and you can enjoy it with the cheese inside or with the cheese on the side on its own or on bread. If on bread, I would suggest you drizzle some honey on top, or sprinkle some sugar, and even fruit spreads can complement this unique snack really well.
As odd as this recipe may sound, you probably already have the ingredients at home, and if you are feeling adventurous I would encourage you to look around for the Scandinavian squeaky cheese. Give it a shot and let us know which coffee and cheese pairing is your favorite!