Honey on the Board
Honey on a cheese board is a matter of matching intensity. Get that right and the rest follows.
The rule
Strong cheese wants a honey with structure. Fresh, mild cheese wants a floral honey that will not bury it.
Pairings
Aged sheep's milk — Manchego, Pecorino. Mesquite. The dry caramel meets the salt without adding sweetness on top of it.
Blue — Roquefort, Cabrales. Mesquite, and not much of it. Blue is already doing a great deal; the honey is there to round the edge.
Fresh goat — chevre, requeson. Wildflower. Floral against lactic, which is the oldest pairing on the board.
Hard cow — aged Gouda, Comte. Either. Gouda's own caramel notes mirror mesquite closely.
Oaxaca, panela, queso fresco. Wildflower, with chile and lime on the side.
How to serve it
- Room temperature. Cold honey will not pour and will not taste.
- In the vessel, on the board. Decanting it into something else is a step with no purpose.
- A spoon, not a drizzle bottle. You want control of the amount.
- Bread rather than crackers when the honey is the point — sourdough, or a plain baguette.
What else belongs
Walnuts, marcona almonds, fresh figs when they are in season, quince paste, and cured meat if the board is carrying it. Nothing sweet beyond the honey and the fruit.