Coffee-Food Affinities: Which Coffee with That Dish?

Coffee goes with dessert, natch. Few fans of the brew dispute that. But among coffee's biggest advocates, there's a movement afoot to refine that notion, just as wine enthusiasts have done for "their" beverage. Once you begin to appreciate the nuances in different coffees, you can find food pairings that play to their strengths.

A coffee like Starbucks® Caffè Verona®, a blend that includes some Italian roast, has depth, boldness and vigorous acidity, qualities that meet their match in the balsamic notes of some bittersweet chocolates. A milder, nuttier coffee, like the company's organic shade-grown Mexican, works better with a dessert with less flavor intensity than dark chocolate, such as baklava, a walnut cake or pecan pie.

And as open-minded coffee adventurers are discovering, the brew finds affinities beyond the sweet realm. A smooth, creamy, elegant Sumatra marries superbly with Mt. Tam, a plush, buttery California cow's milk cheese with similar earthy notes. Coffee with cheese? You bet. Coffee has astringency to cleanse the palate, just as the tannin does in red wine. Like wine, coffee has acidity, body and complex aromatics. It can be as silky as Chardonnay or, with a little help from sugar, as sweet as Sauternes. Why wouldn't it go with cheese?

Starbucks educator Major Cohen pays a lot of attention to the harmonies between various coffee styles and complementary foods. Let's hear what he has to say.