How to Pair Scharffen Berger Chocolate with Oregon Cheeses

Chocolate and cheese are an irresistible combination and one we find endlessly fascinating. Cacao doesn’t grow in the continental U.S. so the old adage “what grows together goes together” isn’t a great option for pairing cheese and chocolate, so to explore the pairing options we chose Oregon, a region known for cheese, and now home to a local chocolate maker, Scharffen Berger.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate

Founded in 1996, Scharffen Berger was one of the early American artisan bean-to-bar chocolate companies. The company was sold to Hershey in 2005, and in 2021, Scharffen Berger became a privately held company again after a divestiture. Current Scharffen Berger chocolate maker Ray Major has extensive knowledge in cocoa production, processing and sustainability having previously worked at Cacao Barry, Hershey and artisan brands Dagoba and Scharffen Berger.

Recently Scharffen Berger launched Chocolate Provisions, a line of chocolate squares (milk, dark with sea salt, and extra dark) designed to be used on a charcuterie board. As Major points out, a good charcuterie board offers a broad sampling of items, such as fruit, nuts, chocolate, meat and cheese, which offer complex flavors, so everything has to complement one another. Or perhaps contrast one another?

Katie Bray with cheese — Katie Bray photo credit Christine Hyatt

Contrasting or Complementing Pairings

The flavor of chocolate can range in intensity due to its cacao percentage, Major explains, while still having hints of fruity notes. “It’s kind of at the opposite end of the spectrum of what you normally find with cheese,” he says. “I think that contrast can be interesting but can also be challenging as well.”

Both cheese and chocolate have a “very long mouth experience” says Major, which means they “tend to coat the palate” with a flavor that lingers in your mouth. “I think the stronger the cheese, the milder the chocolate,” says Major, who adds this will help ensure the flavors are not competing. For example, a stronger cheese might pair better with milk chocolate, but a milder cheese can work best with a chocolate with a higher cacao content.

In addition to speaking with Major about pairing Scharffen Berger’s chocolate with cheese we reached out to Oregon Cheese Guild Executive Director Katie Bray to weigh in. Bray has been in the role for eight years and knows a lot about cheese, including proper pairings. “When I talk about pairings, I like to discover combinations that feature a characteristic that is either contrasting or the same.” In other words, complementing rather than contrasting.

3 Great Chocolate and Cheese Pairings

Scharffen Berger 41% Extra Rich Milk Chocolate & Face Rock’s Cheddar Cheese Curds

The 41% Extra Rich Milk Chocolate Bar is made with a high cacao content and only 30% sugar. It is very creamy and has notes of caramel for one delicious bite. Major says since milk chocolate does not overpower in flavor, a bolder cheese can help "welcome the sweet creaminess” of the chocolate.

As for Bray, she explains a cheese such as Face Rock’s Cheddar Cheese Curds is the perfect pairing. “Milk chocolate is snacking chocolate, and curds are snacking cheese,” she says. “An underlying fruitiness ties the two together, and the savory squeak of the curds teases the sugary, silky chocolate in a playful game of tag in the mouth.”

Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet Chocolate & Face Rock Extra Aged Cheddar or Rogue River Blue

The 70% Bittersweet Chocolate Bar is made with cacao beans and cocoa butter, creating a smooth finish. Its flavor is complex with a bit of fruitiness and pairs well with a cheese that is a bit milder. Cheese that is “nutty” and “earthy, without too much heft” is ideal when looking to “complement the dark fruitiness” of this dark chocolate bar, says Major.

Bray suggests the Face Rock Extra Aged Cheddar pairs with the 70% Bittersweet Chocolate Bar. “The sharpness, salt, and cream of the cheddar contrasts beautifully with the cocoa flavor and light sweetness of the 70%.”

She also likes to pair the 70% Bittersweet with Rogue River Blue. “The layers of sweet cream, pear brandy, sharp blue flavor, and slight crunch from the tyrosine crystals have so much going on, they crave a less intrusive chocolate like this bittersweet,” Bray says. “It sets the stage for the cheese and delivers a touch of chocolate at the end of the bite making its own little dessert following a cheese course.”

Scharffen Berger 82% Extra Dark Chocolate & Tillamook 2017 Maker’s Reserve Extra Sharp White or Portland Creamery Sweet Fire Chèvre

The 82% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar is made with only cacao beans, sugar, and vanilla beans. The flavor is a mix of fruit and spice with a long and lasting finish. Major says a milder cheese, such as brie or Manchego, “paves the way for the deep complexity” of the 82% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar.

Bray recommends Tillamook’s 2017 Maker’s Reserve Extra Sharp White Cheddar which offers a “combination of sweet, creamy, and salty” that helps make “a perfect foil for the stately structure of the 82% chocolate.” The Portland Creamery Sweet Fire Chèvre is also a solid choice. “This combo is the perfect sophisticated dessert,” Bray says. “The chocolate has just a touch of sweetness that acts as an intermediary between the fluffy, light fresh chèvre, and the bright heat of the marionberry habanero jam that underlies the goat cheese.”

White Chocolate & Cheese Pairing?

Ray Major photo credit Salmon Borre Group

If you’re considering pairing white chocolate with cheese, that can get tricky. While milk and dark chocolate can complement cheese, Major believes white chocolate does not. “I think it’s very useful for visual effects and for making bonbons and pralines,” says Major, “but it doesn’t have a tremendous flavor impact so you wouldn't pair it with cheese.” Or would you? Let us know in the comments.