Mead is a drink made from fermented honey and spices. While it’s made a come-back in recent years, it’s still somewhat of a mystery as to which foods go well with it. If you want to pair your mead with your meal, it’s important to know which kind of mead you have. Here are a few combinations to try.

4 Types of Mead & How to Pair Them With Food

1. Fruity

The rich fullness of a fruity mead matches wonderfully with equally rich foods, like curries, tajines, or kimchi. The stronger, fuller flavor stands up well to the zest of heavily-spiced dishes, providing a refreshing counterbalance for powerful tastes. Honey is a classic ingredient in foods like these, so it has a natural place next to them in the form of mead.

2. Dry

Dry meads are great with lighter meals, like chicken or fish, but their similarity to wine means they pair equally well with cheeses, cold cuts, nuts, and fruit. The tangy dryness will make a light meal feel crisp and refreshing.

3. Spicy

If you have a zingy mead with an edge of its own, eat complementing foods, like vegetable crudites, fresh fruit, or sweet sauces. These pairings will bring out the subtlety in the food’s softer flavors. The gentleness of the produce, matched with the spiciness of the mead, will highlight both of their unique profiles.

4. Sweet

When it’s time for dessert, what better complement to your after-dinner treat than the delicious natural honey flavoring of a sweet mead? Meads that are heavier on the sweetness will go well with subtler desserts, like cheesecake or tart berry flavors. For more sugary desserts, like iced cakes, a dryer, milder sweetness is perfect.

 

If you want to add an amazing natural sweetness to your food, check out the products from Manoa Honey Company in Wahiawa, HI. Since 1989, these beekeepers have harvested local honey to make a variety of specialty food and personal care products. While you can shop for their goods online, the mead is new, so call (808) 927-0501 to place an order.