FOOD NEWS
Cheeses That Don't Deserve Real Estate On Your Charcuterie Board
BY Elaine Todd
American Cheese
American cheese isn't cheese. The FDA labels it as a "processed cheese food" as it contains some real cheese but is mixed with whey and protein from milk.
Its bland flavor and plasticky texture will surely pale in comparison to all the other cheeses in your charcuterie board. It's not exactly a good match for the cured meats, either.
Ricotta
A good charcuterie cheese should be easy to cut neatly, but if you try to cut ricotta, it’ll turn into a mushy mess, ruining the presentation and any ingredient it touches.
Carolina Reaper Cheese
A cheese that's beyond most people's spice threshold is Carolina Reaper cheese. It's infused with one of the hottest chiles in the world.
The cheese’s creaminess is unlikely to balance the intense heat, so the Carolina Reaper cheese is best avoided when assembling a board for guests who may not be able to handle it.
Chhurpi
Chhurpi is said to be the world's hardest cheese, softening in texture as you keep chewing. The force needed to cut it can keep you from enjoying your charcuterie board.
Mild Cheddar
Mild cheddar doesn't have enough flavor complexity to stand out against the robust meats and other cheeses on a charcuterie board, so it’s sure to fall flat in flavor.