Dalmatia fig jam and cheese, please

Every so often

I come across a new-to-me flavor combination that makes my taste buds so happy I feel like I’ve been missing out.

Avocado and oranges. Pistachios and toma- toes. Labneh (yogurt cheese) and garlic. Green onions, oatmeal and sriracha. Popcorn and V8 Juice.

Those are just a few examples.

Most recently it was Dalmatia fig jam and cheddar cheese.

Oh my. If you’re a fig lover and you’ve never had Dalmatia fig jam, you’re in for a treat. The spread is thick and fragrant and intensely fig flavored. The average onehit sweet and seedy spreads pale in comparison — in color and flavor. The imported (read expensive) spread is named for the region of Croatia where it is produced (the same region where the Dalmatian dog breed originated) and is made using a combination of sun-dried local fruits.

I’m not the first person to discover this combination, as you’ll find jars of Dalmatia fig spread in the cheese department and not with the other jams near the peanut butter at the grocery store. And as the company’s website notes, it goes well with any cheese.

It was chef Amanda Ivy and her egg sandwich featured in last week’s cover story that I have to thank for the introduction to Dalmatia fig spread. Her sandwich, if you missed it, featured toasted dark rye bread spread with Dalmatia fig jam and topped with a few slices of bacon and eggs scrambled with heavy cream and parmesan cheese. The sandwich was divine. But the fig spread is what I couldn’t resist. I kept going back to the jar for another little spoonful. Again and again.

The next morning for breakfast, I toasted an English muffin with the plan of having some jam on one half and melting a little cheese (for protein) on the other half. I ended up putting the two halves together and my new favorite sandwich was born.