Learn about the different types of cheese and beverage pairings

(Reproduction Umami Committee)

With an abundance of flavors and aromas, cheeses are versatile foods that allow for incredible combinations

São Paulo, January 2022 – Cheese is an ancient food that pairs well with a variety of culinary preparations. Besides being delicious, it reveals different palates, aromas, and textures that can be paired with certain beverages to create delightful sensory experiences.

Doctor of Food Science from Unicamp, Hellen Maluly, explains that cheeses are rich in umami – the fifth basic taste of the human palate. “Parmesan cheese, for example, has a high level of glutamate, one of the main substances responsible for providing the fifth taste. When you place it in your mouth, salivation increases immediately, as well as the lingering flavor — both characteristics of the fifth taste,” says Hellen.

In celebration of National Cheese Day, on January 20, Maluly shared some pairing suggestions with this food, noting that they are complex and depend on the composition of each ingredient as well as consumer preferences.

CHEESE AND COFFEE

Pairings with lightly or medium-roasted coffees can be made with milder cheeses such as fresh cheese, lua cheia (Brazilian soft cheese), fresh goat cheese, or minas frescal. The more fruity coffees can be accompanied by Brie with jams, or added to desserts with Mascarpone, such as the traditional tiramisu. “Stronger, full-bodied coffees, such as blends made from the coffee species Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (also known as robusta), can be paired with more mature cheeses, especially Parmesan,” explains Hellen.

CHEESE AND WINE

The combination of cheese and wine is very common in French and Italian cuisine. The salty and umami tastes found in cheese reduce the acidity and astringency provided by intense red wines, which are richer in tannins, thus modifying sensory perception. “The result of this pairing is a more balanced beverage with an enhancement of other aromatic sensations that come from both the cheese and the wine. For wine lovers, pairing is an elevated gastronomic experience,” says Maluly.

CHEESE AND BEER

A study conducted at the Istituto di Enologia e Ingegneria Agro-alimentare in Italy, published in the renowned scientific journal Food Quality and Preference – Elsevier, evaluated the combination of various types of cheese with beer. The best pairing identified in the research was with Parmesan.
According to Hellen, combining the food with beer reduces bitterness, acidity, and even some astringency, in addition to minimizing the warming sensations caused by alcohol and slightly reducing carbonation — a process that occurs during alcoholic fermentation and produces carbon dioxide in the beverage. Carbonation creates a mild acidic sensation upon contact with the taste buds because carbon dioxide is converted into acid by the action of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000 when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste in the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances.
The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the lasting taste that remains for a few minutes after eating.
To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.