COFFEE AND FOOD MATCH

Which of these desserts go well with which coffee?

Let's hear it from the experts, first.......

Daniel Young, author of "Coffee Love: 50 Ways to Drink Your Java says, "A blueberry muffin with Ethiopian Sidamo coffee that possesses its own blueberry notes."

Kraft's simple rule of thumb goes -
Pair richer desserts with darker roasts,
and lighter desserts with lighter roasts.
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Characterized by a smooth, mellow taste, light coffee won't be overpowered by light cakes like fruit cake; cookies and loaves; desserts with fresh fruit, such as a tart, shortcake or meringue and strawberry pie.
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I like my coffee strong so here's what Kraft suggested for people like me with stronger palette -

A Dark-Roast Coffee with its bold, rich, full-bodied, full-flavor and enticing aroma, minus the burnt or bitter taste, goes great with coffee-flavored desserts, such as mocha cake, almond mocha or espresso ice cream; decadent desserts, such as dense cheesecake, cream pie, blueberry or ice cream; grains, such as muffins, biscotti, scones or croissants; rich chocolate desserts, such as cake, sundaes, mousse or truffles and desserts with caramel and/or nuts.
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For people who go for the balanced taste of Medium-Roast Coffee - its well-rounded and robust flavor complements the creaminess of the Philadelphia cream cheese in apple crisp cheesecake and creamy lemon cheesecake. It's a match in heaven when taken along creamy desserts with light textures, such as crème brûlée, tiramisù or flan, spiced desserts such as carrot cake and apple pie; lighter-style desserts that still hold some decadence, such as cheesecakes with fresh fruit or whipped-chocolate parfaits.
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Now, for coffee-food pairings that go beyond dessert -

Graham Elliot restaurant hosted a coffee pairing dinner and these were the evaluations of the invited connoiseurs:

Doug Zell of Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea says: "The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe can have a strong bergamot note that will pair nicely with something like a lemon tart."

Tony Dreyfuss of Metropolis Coffee Co.: "I would serve something like stew that is really beefy with a coffee that has more body and earthy tones like a Sumatra ir a Colombian San Rafael. If you were serving something nutty, something with sesame or walnuts, I would recommend a Brazilian like the Fazenda Ambiental and Fortaleza."

Vincent Iatesta, owner of Caffe Pronto Coffee Roastery: "We did a coffee and cheese tasting here recently and the best pairing we found was a Piave Stravecchio Italian cheese with a Guatemalan San Jose Ocana."

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Click here and try more food pairing from Food Network

Award-winning sommelier Maria José Huertas said that when you marry wines with food, you will soon find that for every dish, there tends to be at least four or five wines that are a good match. The same can be true to coffee. Everyone's taste is as unique and different as each individual.

Why don't you do a taste test and see which coffee flavor matches best with your menu...