Guiltiest Pleasures: We Paired Love Island USA Castmates with Cheese
Written By: Michelle Webb | @cheeseshopnc
It was summer’s guiltiest pleasure, but we have to know: what cheeses would they be?
Prior to this summer, I had never watched a single episode of Love Island. Never gave it a second thought. I barely realized there was a UK version and a US version. I certainly didn’t understand how the game is played, that it takes place practically in real-time (what?!), airs six days a week (what?!), that there is a cash prize, or that people voted during the process. The terms bombshell, villa, casa, recoupling, and hideaway carried no weight in my world or in my vernacular. But with one click of the remote, I, like most of the country, religiously tuned in at 9pm and clocked about 50 hours of one of the most dramatic, culture-shaping, televised social experiments on record.
But quick, let’s get to the cheese!
What is so fun, and perhaps so easy about this assignment, is that nearly everyone on Love Island USA Season 6 brings so much personality — love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s the truth— very few were forgettable.
As such, they are wonderful muses for cheese pairings.
Love Island USA Castmates & Cheese Pairings
Serena Page
Mimolette | Isigny St. Mere | Normandy, France
Let's start with our winners. From the outset, Serena was undeniably Serena. She was assertive, knew what she wanted, and impressively mature for her age. Entering the villa with her guard up, she was upfront about her reservations with potential love interests. An obvious fan favorite, she's the epitome of a "slow burn" and delivers the ultimate throw-your-head-back-and-laugh-it-up montage. For these reasons, Serena is Mimolette. A whole wheel of Mimolette feels as substantial as a moon rock or cannonball. Aged for 18-24 months, it boasts a natural rind. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, cracking into it requires effort, but the reward is worth it: bright orange hues from annatto seed and a sweet, almost candy-like butterscotch flavor packed with personality. Love Island's classiest, most iconic slow burn has met her fancy French cheese match.
Kordell Beckham
Linedeline | Blakesville Creamery | Port Washington, Wisconsin
Kordell might suggest a Cheez-It pairing, but he deserves a more refined cheese counterpart. From the start, I admired Kordell’s adoration for Serena and his protective nature towards the female castmates. Despite Casa Amor challenges, his true character shone through. So, Kordell is Linedeline: a vegetable ash-ripened goat cheese from Wisconsin's Blakesville Creamery, modeled after the Loire Valley's renowned cheeses. A youthful, rising star in the cheese world, Linedeline is fresh, delightfully soft, and creamy, and a cheese that everyone will not just tolerate, but completely fall in love with.
JaNa Craig
Quinta | Point Reyes Cheese | Petaluma, California
Na Na is our multicultural, sophisticated Love Island queen, possessing the determination and drive instilled by her military family upbringing. Incredibly sophisticated and romantic, she effortlessly navigates any social setting. Imagine her backstage at the Grammys or the Kennedy Center Honors. JaNa is Quinta from Point Reyes. A soft-ripened, bloomy rind cheese inspired by the renowned and decadent Vacherin Mont d’Or, Quinta boasts a silky-smooth interior and a fluffy yet slightly firm rind adorned with a bay leaf. Quinta, like JaNa, is highly adaptable. It can be enjoyed at room temp with a spoon, heated up in the oven with a splash of white wine, or could be the ranch dressing-alternative to your next crudité.
Kenny Rodriguez
Mahon Reserva DOP | Mitica
Oh, Kennnnnyyyyy. We love his connection to Dominican culture, his love for his family, and his love for JaNa. Kenny deserves a distinguished cheese pairing with some cultural flair, which is why I chose Mahon Reserva. It’s an aged version of the most famous cheese from the Balearic Islands. Mahon Reserva is a square-shaped (but not ‘square’) cheese, it’s mature but never boring, and comes with a characteristic burnt orange rind and deep yellow firm paste. This cow’s milk cheese is rubbed in olive oil (fancy and unusual) as it ages for 1 year, creating a not too dry, smooth cheese. While full-flavored, the taste is balanced and accessible. A perfect compliment to any cheese board or fiery personality.
Leah Kateb
Lesbos Feta | Essex Street Cheese | Lesbos, Greece
Leah is funny, authentic, and strikingly beautiful. Her personality is captivating without being overpowering, and she's now a ubiquitous presence. Let me introduce you to Essex Street Lesbos Feta. While most envision feta as the firm, crumbly blocks found in grocery stores or familiar brands like Athenos, Essex Street Lesbos Feta is a completely different experience. This is a luxurious, one-of-a-kind feta, crafted on the Greek island of Lesbos. Its decadent blend of saltiness and creamy richness is unparalleled. With such intense flavor, it will forever change your perception of feta. Just as Rob is (still) infatuated with Leah, you'll be obsessed with this cheese.
Miguel Harichi
Black Bomber | Snowdonia Cheese Company | Wales, UK
We love a London boy. Upon his initial bombshell entrance to Love Island, Miguel was incredibly confident, strong, and a bit intimidating. Thankfully, he met Leah and he cracked wide open, even though his full personality may have ended up on the cutting room floor due to poor production. Anyway, I had to pair Miguel with one of our absolute favorite Welsh cheddars, the Black Bomber. A bomber for a bombshell, innit? Named for its black wax rind, Black Bomber is the closest cheese equivalent I could think of for a British loverboy. Tough practically impenetrable, on the outside, but on the inside — not exactly soft, but incredibly rich, crumbly, creamy, and equally as complex. A cheese that would totally fly out to Los Angeles and surprise you for your birthday without a second thought.
Stay tuned for more castmate pairings!
We may add more as we approach the Love Island USA Season 6 Reunion on Monday, March 19 at 9pm. Join our Love Island Reunion Watch Party at Belltree Cocktail Club from 8-10:30pm on Monday, we’ll have $25 per person bottomless cheese bar!
