Biting into a good cheese is one of life’s greatest pleasures – whether you prefer mature and stinky, soft and silky or crumbly and salty, a person who doesn’t like cheese is hard to find.
Indeed, almost everything tastes better with cheese – from bitter chocolate with cream cheese, blueberries with stilton to anchovies with salty caciocavallo cheese; the most surprising foods have their secret, cheesy soulmate out there, waiting to enhance them. This ability to match a cheese’s taste and texture to its accompaniments is the secret to putting together a perfect cheeseboard – after all, blueberries and cheddar sounds rather less appealing, as does, say, rich Bolognese ragu with a cream cheese topping. But find the perfect pairing and you add a depth and roundness to your meal – and your guests can’t fail to be impressed.
For this very reason, an Italian food shop is a cheese-lover’s dream – Italy has some of the finest, most flavoursome cheeses in the world. From salty slivers of Pecorino to subtle, creamy mascarpone, here’s how to put together an awesome cheeseboard, in minutes!
The Secrets of an Outstanding Cheeseboard
There are two secrets to making an amazing cheeseboard – 1, presentation, and 2, variety. Fortunately, presentation is pretty difficult to get wrong if you nail the second. As long as you have plenty of different cheeses, crackers, condiments and herbs, your cheeseboard’s sure to tempt your guests. So all you need is a nice cheeseboard (we prefer a rustic slate) and some decent cheese knives, and you’re set to start stacking your board!
Selecting the Right Cheeses
With Italian cheeses, it’s difficult to go wrong – but a great rule of thumb is to select at least one cow’s milk cheese, one buffalo milk cheese, one goat’s milk cheese and one sheep’s cheese. Parmiggiano Reggiano is, perhaps, the most famous cow’s milk Italian cheese – and for good reason. Ours is 24 month matured, with a fruity, nutty flavour, and if you want to enjoy it like a true Italian, pair it with a high-quality balsamic vinegar and eat it in chunks – it really needs no further ornamentation.
Mozzarella di Bufala is the perfect buffalo’s milk cheese – soft, subtle and a guaranteed crowd pleaser, it’s ideal when complemented by the rich sweetness of sundried tomatoes, or with salty slivers of prosciutto crudo. A softer pecorino, like our White Pecorino, made from pasteurized Sicilian sheep’s milk, and a mild ricotta complete your cheeseboard. And if you’re looking for a stronger cheese to add sophistication to your board, don’t forget your Gorgonzola Dolce – this soft, blue, buttery cheese is one of our favourites!
Don’t forget to finish your board off with a selection of cured meats, tapenades and oils – and, of course, plenty of prosecco to serve.
With Diforti, your online Italian food shop delivering right to your door, it’s never been easier to put together the perfect cheeseboard. All you need to do is put everything on a platter, pop the prosecco, and watch your guests enjoy!
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