From The Straits Times    |

unusual ways to eat brie, camembert, blue cheese etc

Photo: Valentyn Volkov

Bored with the cliched cheese-and-crackers or cheese-and-figs combis? We’ve got some pretty unconventional suggestions from Xavier Thuret (International Ambassador for French Cheeses at Lactalis Group), inspired by his travels around the world.

BLUE CHEESE & BANANA
It sounds like a crazy idea, but trust us ─ we’ve tried it and it works. The creaminess of the banana helps to tamp down the pungency of the blue cheese, so you get the depth of flavours without the sharp smell. Blue cheese is also surprisingly easy to spread, almost like butter!

BRIE & KIWI
The acidity and juiciness lightens up the richness of the cheese for a pretty refreshing flavour combi.

COMTE & JAM
Comté is a hard cheese, which means its texture can be a bit on the dry side. Smear a bit of jam ─ nothing too heavy or it will overpower the mild sweetness of the French cheese ─ or have it with a dessert wines for a more voluptuous mouthfeel.

CAMEMBERT & SPECULOOS (or toasted sesame seeds)
Give a bit of textural contrast to the creamines of the camembert by dabbing wedges of the cheese in a plate of crushed speculoos or roasted sesame seeds. We like the speculoos bits for the spice kick, whereas the sesame seeds score points for the toasty aroma and nuttiness.

FRESH GOAT CHEESE & MANGO
Think you’re not a fan of goat cheese? Maybe you should be trying fresh goat cheese instead, which is softer and more luscious than the chalkier aged versions. Go tropical on this one withsome cubes of ripe mango.