Cleveland Cheesemonger’s Wild Cheese Pairings Go Viral
Growing up, Madelyn Varela had a difficult time in school. She was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia, but many teachers didn’t take her conditions seriously. Some even called her names and told her she wouldn’t amount to anything because of her autism. At 15, she was reading at a third-grade level, and family members worried she would never be able to live independently. No one could have predicted that just ten years later, she would become a cheesemonger and social media influencer, traveling the world with a mission to make cheese more approachable.
“A lot of my adult life has been forged out of spite and a desire to prove people wrong,” she said.
Cheesy Talk with Madelyn Varela
Varela showcases lesser-known and exotic cheeses as well as unconventional pairings like doughnuts and Baja Blast on her Instagram and TikTok accounts, where her username is @cheezytalkwithmadelyn. If you’ve ever wondered what to pair with La Tur, a dense, creamy blend of cow, sheep, and goat’s milk, she suggests gummy peach rings in one of her videos.
In another video, she reveals Délice de Bourgogne, a triple cream cheese, as her “date night” cheese of choice. She pairs it with dark chocolate, fresh strawberries, and a glass of Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine.
Throughout her profile, Varela shares videos of her travels, always finding cheese makers, sellers, or fans wherever she goes. In a cheese shop in Portugal, she was recognized as “the crazy American that does the cheese.” Similar experiences happened in Washington, D.C., and Japan.
In November, Varela served as a judge at the World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland, where she tasted dozens of cheeses from around the globe and met their makers. Her favorite is Negroni, a fudgy, mild blue cheese soaked in gin, red vermouth, and bitter liqueur, topped with candied orange peels. One of its makers, Sergio Moro, is known as the Willy Wonka of the cheese world.
From Goats to Gruyère
Varela knew from a young age that she wanted to become a farmer. One of her earliest memories was drawing a picture book of all the careers she wanted to pursue, and one was a farmer.
At 16, she started working at a small goat dairy in Scottsdale, Arizona, that made caramels, soap, and cheese. She fell in love with the dairy goats, which solidified her passion for the dairy industry. After graduating high school, she worked at a larger creamery in southern Arizona that produced soap and cheese from about 150 milking goats. There, she learned more about animal husbandry.
“When I was working with the cheese, that really sparked my curiosity and fascination with the whole cheese-making process, because it really is such a simple food,” Varela said. “It’s only four ingredients and with that you get so many different varieties out of it. Hundreds of thousands.”
Three years later, she pivoted to cheese making at Valley Shepherd Creamery in New Jersey. Later, she helped manage a cheese room at Goodale Farms in Long Island. After several years as a cheesemaker, she felt burned out. When her contract ended at Goodale Farms, she brought her skills to the Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. outpost at Van Aken District Market Hall in Shaker Heights before its closure in 2023.
“I found that when you have an understanding of the science behind cheese making, you are able to sell that product much more effectively,” Varela said. “So even if I’m not super familiar with the cheese that this person is asking for and I don’t have it, I know how that cheese is made, and I can recommend a different variety.”
Social Media Boom
Varela began creating short-form videos about what was in the cheese case at Old Brooklyn to help customers who were overwhelmed or had social anxiety around asking questions. Just before Old Brooklyn shut its doors, she began managing the cheese department at the Heinen’s Grocery Store in Chagrin Falls, and she had to transition to filming in her Shaker Heights apartment instead of at work.
Her viral Rogue River Blue video led to exponential growth of her social media following. The video and location change enabled Varela to branch out and develop lifelong friendships with renowned cheesemakers around the world.
Looking forward, she plans to continue growing her platform and become more involved in the American Cheese Society. While she does plan to continue her 9-to-5, she hopes to eventually get out from behind the counter and work more in cheese procurement, education, or marketing.
In April, she will be leading a cheese tour through Northern Spain. Next year, Varela plans to publish a book about cheese and her unhinged cheese pairings.
“I’m just seeing where the world takes me and how far I can take cheezytok,” she said.
Unhinged Cheese Pairings – Akron Edition
Varela provided some suggestions for unhinged cheese pairings with uniquely Akron foods. The bravest cheese lovers on the Beacon Journal’s news staff gave them a try. Here’s what they thought of each pairing.
Attempting your own Akron-themed cheese pairing at home? Let us know how it went by emailing tbeans@usatodayco.com.
Sauerkraut balls and Balsamic BellaVitano
Balsamic BellaVitano cheese is described as sweet with a hint of nuttiness. Tasters may notice a slight crunch when eating the cheese, according to its cheesemaker, Sartori. The added texture comes from calcium crystals (calcium lactate) that form naturally during the aging process.
“I don’t like sauerkraut balls normally, but when it’s added to this cheese it’s good,” said Cheryl Powell, Beacon Journal Executive Editor. “This is a great recommendation.”
“I think the cheese gets lost a little bit in the sauerkraut ball,” said Bryce Buyakie, an Akron Beacon Journal reporter. “So more cheese, or less sauerkraut ball. I think it would pair better together if I did half of a ball.” This was Buyakie’s first time eating a sauerkraut ball.
White French dressing and Point Reyes original blue cheese
This rindless blue cheese has an ultra-creamy texture with medium-strong blue mold flavor, according to the Point Reyes website.
“Kind of perfumy,” said Dan Kadar, the Akron Beacon Journal’s senior news director for digital. “It’s not terrible. I’m not a blue cheese person. Tastes kind of like Windex.”
“The white French definitely has a lot of sugar in it so the two flavor profiles really balance each other out in a weird way,” said Andrew Dolph, an Akron Beacon Journal photojournalist. “I wouldn’t be opposed to just sitting here eating spoonfuls of this.”
Rubber and Widmer’s Jalapeno Pepper Cheddar
For this exercise, tasters were asked to imagine chewing on a tire while consuming the cheese. Could this dairy product’s flavor overshadow Akron’s once most notable export?
Widmer’s Cheese Cellar describes this jalapeno pepper cheddar cheese as “a spicy and flavorful cheese that combines the creaminess of cheddar with the heat of jalapeno pepper.”
“I’m not a big jalapeño fan but I find this very acceptable,” said Joe Thomas, the Akron Beacon Journal’s senior news director for content.
“I guess it would take the taste away if I had some rubber I was gnawing on for some reason,” said Powell.
“I love it,” said Lisa Scalfaro, an Akron Beacon Journal photojournalist. “I’m not a huge fan of jalapeño but it’s not bad with this. I love cheddar.”
“It overcame the taste of that [pointing to blue cheese] which is good,” said Stephanie Warsmith, an Akron Beacon Journal reporter. Warsmith does not like blue cheese, which was tasted alongside white French dressing prior to this cheddar.
Délice de Bourgogne aka “date night” cheese
This was simply a tasting of Délice de Bourgogne, a cheese with a lightly acidic and salty taste as well as delicate mushroom and cream aromas, according to Fromagerie Lincet.
“Quiet good. You need a good cracker selection with it, but on its own there’s a lot going on,” said Dolph.
Kadar disagreed with Varela’s assessment of the cheese as an aphrodisiac.
“This is terrifying. It kind of looks like marshmallow,” said Kadar before having a spoonful. After giving it a taste, he said, “It’s good. It’s quite tasty.”
Got a story recommendation? Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@usatodayco.com and on Instagram @TawneyBeans. And follow her adventures on TikTok @Bisakimia.
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