Vol.2
An Easy Guide to Cheese Pairing
Essential Steps for a Delicious Cheese Board
Since moving to the US, we have been introduced to the cheese board culture which has completely transformed our view on how to present cheese. In France, we simply arranged a few cheeses on a wooden board and served it as is. But here in the US, we discovered that creating a cheese board is an art, with endless combinations of honey, jams, nuts, fruits, and chocolates to explore. It’s like creating a painting, where only your imagination is the limit. In this post, we’ll guide you through the essential elements to create a beautiful and delicious cheese board that will impress your guests.
From selecting the perfect cheeses and accompaniments to choosing the right accessories and utensils, we’ve got you covered. So let’s get started and create a cheese board that your guests will be talking about for days to come!
Step #1 – The Board
Getting all the ingredients needed to create your cheese board is the easy part. To add visual appeal, try using multiple cheeses with varying shapes, textures, and colors. Slice some and dice others to create volume and have fun with the initial arrangement. If you decide to add charcuterie to the board, now is the time. Our preference is to keep the focus on the cheeses, so we tend to add only a few decorative elements such as nuts, olives, gherkins, pickled vegetables, and marinated artichokes. Before placing everything on the board, arrange the preserves, honey, and mustard in their designated spots.
Step #2 – The Accessories
Proper accessories are essential for building a cheese board. Firstly, you’ll need a suitable board, and we prefer one with various wood accents.
To serve the cheese board, we recommend adding a few decorative tea towels. Cheese boards can become quite messy towards the end, so using tea towels underneath them makes for easy and quick cleaning. Furthermore, the tea towels are an excellent decoration for your table and allow you to have fun with your theme. Consider using Le Jacquard Francais tea towels, which have vibrant and fun designs.
Adorned with images of famous French cheeses, this tea towel from Le Jacquard Francais is the perfect addition to any cheese platter.
Having discussed one accessory, we can now move on to the most important one: the cheese serving utensils. Every good cheese board requires proper utensils. But which ones should you get? Our go-to choice is the Laguiole 3 Pc Cheese Set by Jean Neron. These cheese sets are handmade in France using premium stainless steel, making them the perfect accessory for any cheese board. We appreciate their mini size, which doesn’t take up much space on the board, and they are also of excellent quality and visually appealing.
Depending on the color theme we’re going for, we switch up the sets we use. Regardless of the type of cheese board we create, the Mini 3Pc Cheese sets from Jean Neron are always part of the discussion over some slices of cheese.
Take your cheese board to the next level with our high-end Laguiole cheese set. Which color will be yours?
Step#3 – Which honey for which cheese?
Cheese and honey are a well-known perfect pairing, as the sweetness of the honey can enhance any type of cheese. However, if you want to impress your guests, there are some pairings that will create an explosion of flavors.
When selecting your honey, there are two golden rules to follow: always choose raw and pure honey. Our favorite organic honeys are from Nev, as they are some of the most beautiful honeys we’ve tried in a long time.
Now, which honey pairs well with which cheese? Honeys with citrus overtones, such as Orange Blossom honey from Brightland, are a great match for soft and creamy-textured cheeses like Brie, and Camembert.
If you have blue cheese, we recommend a stronger and bolder honey such as chestnut honey.
For a bold and original taste, try pairing our Organic Saffron Infused honey with aged Manchego cheese or fresh goat cheese.
You can also be bold with Nev’s Organic Vanilla Infused honey. Pair it with fresh ricotta and fruits like berries for an exceptional cheese board.
The organic saffron infused honey from Nev is a gem crafted in the south of France. Once you try it, you won’t be able to get enough
Step #4 – The Preserves
Now that your cheese board is almost complete, there is one more important component to consider: adding fruit spreads or preserves. But which ones to choose? First of all, it’s important to note that fruit spreads and preserves are preferable to jams due to their lower sugar content and stronger fruit flavors.
When it comes to pairing preserves with cheeses, there are no strict rules, but there are some general guidelines. Typically, strong cheeses are paired with strong preserves and milder cheeses with more tart preserves. Sweeter preserves like cherries, pears, strawberries, and apricots pair well with mature cheeses, while more sour-tasting preserves like orange, tangerine, and lemon pair well with softer cheeses.
Here are some specific flavor pairings to consider for different types of cheese:
- Parmigiano: apricot, pear, raspberry, spicy jam
- Blue cheese: blackberry, apricot
- Manchego: blueberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, apricot, quince, cherry
- Brie: cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, fig
- Camembert: orange, fig
- Ricotta: orange, blueberry, blackberry, blackcurrant
- Fresh goat: fig
- Gruyere: apple
- Emmental: strawberry, orange
Some of our favorite fruit spreads are from The Frenchman. They offers authentic, organic, and sustainable jams made by master jam makers using the best ingredients.
Step #5 – Some bread to wrap it up
You’ve gathered all the essentials for your ideal cheese board, but there’s one more thing to consider – the bread. Our preference is to include a variety of sliced baguette, country bread, and oat bread, as we find that our guests enjoy bread more than crackers. Luckily, in San Francisco, we have access to excellent bakeries that offer a range of fresh, delicious bread. However, if you don’t have access to a good bakery, crackers can be a suitable substitute. There are plenty of options for you to experiment with different textures and flavors!
Now you should have all the basic keys to build your perfect cheese board. Browse all our cheese accessories, honeys and preserves at Delys Boutique!
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