Charcuterie boards have a few crucial elements: freshness, sweetness, saltiness, and a variety of textures, which can cater to anyone’s preferences. As long as you balance out all of these elements, you are sure to create the perfect charcuterie board.
Freshness
Adding this element is crucial, especially since many charcuterie staples are hearty or rich. Adding fresh fruit and veggies balances out the cheeses, chocolates, and dips. Some perfect charcuterie fruits are apples, grapes, and strawberries. Dried fruits, like cherries and apricots, are also delicious options.
Sweetness
Sweetness in charcuterie can go beyond the basic fruits and chocolates. Honey, sugary roasted nuts, and jams perfectly accompany all of the charcuterie elements. To add a mellow level of spice to your sweet components, try hot honey or pepper jelly!
Saltiness
Nuts and pickles are the perfect way to beat that salt craving! Charcuterie and cured meats, like prosciutto, salami, and pepperoni, add a smoky and sweet element. Crackers are an obvious essential, but add a variety! Seed, rosemary, and salty crackers are all great choices.
Textures
When building your board, make sure you have both smooth and crunchy components. Smooth cheeses, like brie and manchego, are two of our favorites. Pairing the cheese with a crunchy cracker and jam or honey creates the perfect bite! Or try a simple apple with cheese and honey!
Building your charcuterie board
There is no wrong way to build a charcuterie board, but you’ll need a board or platter large enough to fit all of your elements. You’ll also need some small serving utensils. We recommend starting with one larger item and building the rest of the board around that. For example, crackers can be used to create a pretty swirl across the board to add movement. From there, you can set everything else around it and watch it all come together effortlessly.
These boards are easy to modify for any dietary restrictions, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or have any other allergy or preference. Try to build your ideal charcuterie board the next time you host your friends for a game night, movie night, or just hanging out at home!
