A cheese tasting can be a phenomenal way to get together with friends and family and experience your favorite cheeses. There are many different ways that you can organize a cheese tasting and any one of these can help you create a fun experience for your guests. All cheese tastings are essentially very similar. Guests will sample cheeses that you provide for them and accompany them with other foods and beverages that will bring out the best qualities in the cheeses that you are serving. It is simply the choice of the cheeses and the accompanying foods and beverages that will change from tasting to tasting.
Which Cheeses To Serve?
There are so many different cheeses available that the choice can be overwhelming for many people. Therefore, it can help to make a few basic decisions before you go shopping. You may want to think about how many cheeses you want to serve. A smaller cheese tasting can be a great idea especially if it is your first time hosting one of these events. A larger cheese tasting can be fun but it may be something that you may want to host with friends rather than purchasing all of the cheeses and drinks yourself.
Traditional cheese tastings often called for the host to serve a soft cheese, a semi-hard cheese and a firm cheese. This allowed guests to compare the different firmness levels and flavors that these cheeses would display. The cheeses were often accompanied by beverages such as wines and beers that could bring out different qualities in the cheeses being served.
Why Not Showcase A Single Cheese?
One excellent idea for a cheese tasting is to showcase a single cheese or variety of cheese. A good example would be a cheese tasting featuring different Cheddars. As Cheddar cheese ages, its flavor and texture undergoes a radical change. You could look at serving younger, mild Cheddar that has been aged for several months alongside Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddars that have been aging for a much longer period of time. Guests will be able to see the progression in taste and texture. You can also consider offsetting this with flavored Cheddars or smoked Cheddar cheese.
Gouda is another cheese that can be the centerpiece of a great single cheese tasting. You can serve younger Gouda as well as one that has been aged. Smoked Gouda can also help you show your guests the range and complexity in flavors that this cheese displays. Many people have never tried aged Gouda or Gouda that has been smoked so this may be something that they will really enjoy.
How Much Cheese Should You Serve?
Figuring out how much cheese to serve your guests can be difficult. There are a few factors that you need to consider. They are:
• When the cheese will be served (you will need less cheese if it is a dessert course or if you are serving other food with the cheese)
• How many guests you are expecting
If you are presenting the cheese tasting as a dessert course or an appetizer, you will need less cheese than if it is the main event. If you are serving the cheeses as part of a larger meal you will generally be safe if you purchase between one and two ounces per person. This will generally double to two to four ounces per person if the cheese tasting is not attached to a meal or if you are only serving a light meal with your cheese.
Cheese tastings are rapidly becoming popular again especially now that there are so many amazing cheeses to experience.
-Written by Lisa Longworth
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