Blue Cheese and Tea Pairings

Known for its pungent aroma and tangy bite, blue cheese can be an intimidating yet rewarding choice for tea pairings. The right brew can balance its intensity, mellow its saltiness, and highlight its complex flavors, let’s find out how!

Bleu des Causses PDO & Natural Sakura Sencha

As its name suggests, Bleu des Causses is a blue cheese. Made from cow’s milk, it is matured in the natural caves of Gorges du Tarn area (which also happens to be one of the prettiest destinations in the South of France). A maturation time of over 70 days gives Bleu des Causses its strong rustic character and buttery texture. The full-bodied flavour and mushroom notes of this cheese balances wonderfully with the delicate and floral Sakura Sencha, which mixes high quality sencha with dried sakura flowers and leaves. Make sure to brew this tea at lower temperatures to avoid extracting bitter compounds, and to fully enjoy its umami and floral character.

Fourme d’ambert PDO & Tsubame Kukicha

Considered the mildest of blue cheeses, Fourme d’Ambert presents a slightly bouncy texture, a stone-like appearance on the outside but cream white and light blue hues on the inside. Produced in the Puy-de-Dôme mountains between 600 m and 1600 m altitude in Auvergne region, it is made from cow’s milk and matured at least 28 days before it can be called Fourme d’Ambert. A lot of historical evidence proves that Fourme d’Ambert dates back to at least the Middle Ages but there is a great chance that it could be even older as this cheese-making tradition was passed down within families from generation to generation. With its roundness and woodland notes, Fourme d’Ambert is beautifully complemented with the honey and bark undertones of the green tea Tsubame Kukicha. This summer stem tea is not only delicious but also lower in caffeine compared to green tea from leaves, making it an ideal companion for your late night “apéro”!

Roquefort PDO & Natural Hojicha

Roquefort is the first cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), certified a 100 years ago (1925). This ewe’s milk cheese is matured in 11 floors of cellars, connected to the ventilated Combalou caves which naturally contain the aerobic mushroom Penicillium roqueforti and maintain a constant 80% humidity and 10°C environment. One of the strongest blue cheeses, it is creamy with a crumbling texture and has a distinctive saltiness. The caramel and walnut roasted flavours of Hojicha naturel are not overpowered by this intense cheese, but bring out a slight sweetness while smoothing out the strong salted notes of Roquefort.

Much like tea, the diversity of cheeses is a fascinating and never-ending rabbit hole. Just in France, the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Économie Laitière (CNIEL) counts more than 1200 types of cheeses, and the world counts over 10 000 different varieties.

While it is very easy in France to find delicious French cheeses, that can be trickier in other countries. For Japan, I recommend the Kyoto-based shop Fromages de Mythèse which has a fantastic selection of directly imported French and Italian cheeses. If you are in Europe, Japan and the USA, Fromages.com offers a wide selection of French cheeses that can be delivered to your door.

– Alix (assistant manager #6)