Have you ever heard of Ficoco? No? Well, let us introduce you then. Ficoco is a rich, dark spread made in Croatia out of figs and cocoa. It's lightly sweet, but full of flavor, and it is superb when paired with cheese. Here's our latest favorite pairing: Humboldt Blue Fog.
Paired! Humboldt Fog Cheese with Ficoco Spread
Humboldt Fog, from Cypress Grove, is a pasteurized goat cheese with a pungent blue streak and an creamy yet assertive flavor that is wonderful in rich salads like this one, and just on its own too.
But it's also great with a pairing that can stand up to it, like Ficoco. We've been hearing about Ficoco for a while, but this was our first chance to taste it. It's not cheap - a jar was about $5.50 at Whole Foods - but still a small indulgence.
It's sweet, but nearly as sweet as we expected, with a deep richness from the figs. The cocoa comes in the aftertaste, with a tangy brightness of light chocolate. It has those nubby little fig seeds that crunch, too. It's totally delicious smeared over a cracker with a wedge of cheese like Humboldt Fog. Try it as a decadent appetizer, or as a good conclusion to a spring meal. You won't miss dessert at all if you substitute a cheese and spread like these.
What's your favorite thing to pair with goat cheese, and have you ever tried Ficoco?
• More about Ficoco: Ficoco website, with recipes for things like Figgy Rice Pudding and Ficoco Red Wine sauce.
• More about Humboldt Fog: The Cheesemonger meets The Winemonger: A Cheese and Wine Pairing Primer
(Images: Faith Durand)
Tags
Cheese, Condiments & Dressings, jam, cocoa, figs, blue cheese, goat cheese, spreadRelated Links
- Meadowcreek Dairy: Appalachian
The Cheesemonger - Simply (One of) the Best: Rogue River Blue
The Cheesemonger - Fondue: Tricks of the Trade
The Cheesemonger - The Cheesemonger: Why Is My Cheese Orange?
- The Cheesemonger: Crottin
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Everyone should try Humboldt Fog since it is one of the best cheeses out there.. Even people who do not like blue cheese, since despite what was stated in this post.. Humboldt Fog is not a blue cheese.
From the website.
"Each handcrafted wheel features a ribbon of edible vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a distinctive, cake-like appearance."
The blue line is veggie ash!
view ztuttle's profile
Yep, I was about to say that, but ztuttle beat me to the punch! It's an ash layer. Not a blue cheese.
view m!'s profile
Oh I love fig spread and use it oven with brie cheese for appetizers or on a panini. I can't wait to try this!
view Apron Adventures's profile
Eh? Did I say it was blue cheese? I can't find it if I did. Blue Fog is its name, but it's a chevre, not an actual blue cheese.
view faith's profile
Drool!
view VeryDelishVeg's profile
"Paired! Humboldt Fog Blue Cheese with Ficoco Spread"
Anyway, it's delicious, whatever you want to call it!
view m!'s profile
LoL! I switched the words in the title - thanks all fixed now.
view faith's profile
I wanted to add.. this cheese is awesome with a drizzle of honey or agave nectar as well!!
view ztuttle's profile
Ficoco sounds like my new best friend... if only I could find it here... off to look for it!
Gracia
view xieta's profile
Yum. I bet these two would be rockin in a grilled cheese sandwich, too...
view maggie (p/c)'s profile
I think I am going to have to try this pairing. Finding the cheese won't be a problem but locating the Ficoco might. I hope my local Whole Foods carries it.
view rosebud's profile
@rosebud The only place I have actually seen Ficoco is at Whole Foods so you might be in luck.
view ztuttle's profile
Not to nitpick, but if this is the cheese I am thinking of, "blue" doesn't appear anywhere in the name. It's simply Humboldt Fog, a ripened goat’s milk cheese produced by Cypress Grove. It's amazing. Can't wait to try this pairing.
view Lannarose's profile
One word.
Yum.
view mermaidsd's profile
with lannarose on this one. humboldt fog. HUMBOLDT FOG. NOT BLUE FOG. NOT BLUE CHEESE.
view saltyc's profile
I found Ficoco spread @ my local TJ Maxx!! score!
view jetsetter66's profile
Oh my goodness - what a brain fog. Sorry - corrected. Don't know what I was thinking!
view faith's profile