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Texture, Flavor, Funk! Six Rules for Building a Better Cheese Board

With new books devoted to hors d’oeuvres platters, cheese is so hot right now. 

Texture, Flavor, Funk! Six Rules for Building a Better Cheese Board
(Photographer: Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh for Bloomberg Businessweek; Food stylist: Nora Singley)

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Cheese board: Two words that have come to mean much more than the sum of their parts. The go-to appetizer platter has become a competitive sport among hosts, driven by a fanaticism for curds from around the world, from supremely creamy to challengingly funky. But even though these plates have inspired Instagram pages with hundreds of thousands of followers, like @ThatCheesePlate, creating your own photo-worthy selection is as simple as following these six rules—and bending them when you need to. Because the true joy of filling up a fantastic cheese board is watching it empty out as people dive in.

① Variety Is Key

Besides a mix of base milks—cow, goat, sheep—­consider textures. Arrange crowd-pleasing ­classics such as Camembert and the goat cheese Bucheron alongside adventurous, full-­flavored cheeses like the blue-veined Red Rock cheddar and the bloomy-rinded Italian buffalo cheese Casatica. Plan for 1 or 2 oz. per person per cheese. 

② Your Plate Should Be Crowded

Ignore the rule of thumb that food needs space to look appealing. “Cheese plates are impressive when they’re full,” says thatcheeseplate.com founder Marissa Mullen. Create a wave of folded cured meat, such as salami or prosciutto, to intersect the board, and fill any gaps with nuts and fresh and dried fruit. 

③ Sweet Sides Are Mandatory

Fig jam and quince jelly have become ­staples to balance the richness and accentuate the saltiness of cheese. More advanced options include hot honey, cabernet pepper wine jelly, and pungent ­apricot mostarda, an Italian preserve made with mustard.

④ Vegan Is Not a Crime

For the inevitable dairy-free guest, there’s an expanding category of well-crafted options from companies such as California’s Vromage (try the truffle brie or “picorino,” with ash), French-style nut cheese from Treeline, or Dr. Cow’s Cajun-aged cashew cheese. 

⑤ Timing Counts

Cheese should sit out for about 45 minutes before serving to optimize the texture—wait for it to come to room temperature before cutting. Serve small-format fresh and young cheeses (i.e., chèvre, burrata, robiola) whole; chip firmer ones (cheddar, blue) from a large piece; and cut semi-hard varieties (Alpine, natural rind) into wedges or chunks. The goal is to create a tapestry, according to Cheese Boards to Share, by Thalassa Skinner (Ryland Peters & Small; $21). Cut soft cheeses with a thin knife, or one with holes in the blade, which stop the cheese from sticking to the metal.

⑥ Themes Are a Wow Factor

If you’re serving wine from, say, France’s Jura district, try cheeses with a similar, complementary terroir (local source). Advanced cheese ­lovers might create a “vertical tasting plate” made with Gouda or jack from different age profiles, or seasonal, limited batches. Theresa McNamara,  Head of Salumi and Formaggi for Eataly North America, recommends cow’s-milk selections from different Alpine valleys made by farmers who migrate their cattle seasonally.

Texture, Flavor, Funk! Six Rules for Building a Better Cheese Board

What Cheese Is on Our Board?

1. Senneri Huban Alp Blossom — Austrian cow’s milk, coated with herbs, marigolds, and lavender
2.  and 5. Aged white cheddar  
3.  Caseificio Quattro Portoni Casatica di Bufala — creamy buffalo milk cheese from Italy
4. Roelli Red Rock – orange Wisconsin cheddar with veins of blue cheese
6. Vermont Creamery Coupole — aged goat’s milk cheese
7. and 10. Christian Oberli Red Witch — Paprika-rubbed semi hard cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland
8. Queso Fresco — fresh Mexican cheese
9. Burrata — ubiquitous, cream-filled mozzarella
11. Pitou-Chevre Delice de Poitou — ash-coated French goat cheese
12. Goat gouda — semi-firm goats milk version of the French classic
13. Cabrales — potent Spanish blue cheese

… And to Fill it Out? 

Carbs: Sliced baguette, crackers (olive and regular)
Meats: prosciutto,  Serrano ham, chorizo, soppressata
Nuts: Marcona almonds, pistachios, corn nuts
Vegetables: pickled okra, cornichons, sun-dried tomatoes, radishes, Peppadew peppers (cheese-stuffed and plain)
Fruits: pomegranates, crab apples, tiger figs, cherries
Olives: Castelvetranos
Sweets: candied ginger, honey, basil

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Justin Ocean at jocean1@bloomberg.net, Chris Rovzar

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