If you’ve never gone beyond the old standbys – Red Delicious for the kids’ lunches, maybe a Braeburn for your own snack – branch out and host an apple tasting this fall.
Think of apples the way you would wine. Flavor undertones can range from the nuttiness of chestnut crabs to the faint anise in Sweet 16 and candy-sweetness of Fujis.
Like wine, cheeses can bring out and complement those flavors. Sharper cheeses are a good match for apples with deep, complex flavors; delicately flavored apples call for milder cheeses that won’t overwhelm them.
Think about the tastes. What do you taste besides sweet and tart? Do people in the group perceive the same apple differently?
Have fun with it, but in the end, eat whatever cheese you like with whatever apple you like. Beverages could include a sherry, port or micro-brewed hard cider. Good nonalcoholic choices would be fresh-pressed cider or any tea without high citrus notes.
For contrast, have on hand some salty nibbles – picholine or buttery black olives – and bowls of almonds and pecans. And don’t forget baguettes and crackers as palate cleansers.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Cameo: A West Coast apple with a delicate flavor. Pair with a ripe Camembert.
Gala: Sweet and aromatic, galas match up with buttery Tilsit.
Chestnut crab: Can be hard to find outside of orchards; they have intensely flavorful, firm flesh and a slightly nutty flavor that teams up nicely with Gouda.
Cortland: Pretty on the plate, Cortlands stay white after they’re cut and offer a complex, sweet-tart flavor and tempting aroma. Try them with the earthy, slightly grainy Gruyere.
Haralson: A Minnesota original dating back to the early 1920s, with a tart taste that stands up well to thinly shaved slices of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Honeycrisp: An almost perfect balance of sweet and tart, set off well by a rich Dubliner Irish cheese, a sharp, aged Cheddar or even a full-on gorgonzola.
McIntosh: An old New England apple with tender, white flesh and a tart flavor. Can handle a nutty Emmental.
Sweet 16: This is a high-sugar apple favored by kids and, interestingly, Southerners, who prefer a sweeter flavor profile than do Midwesterners. Pair it with a mild Colby, another kid favorite.
