FOOD NEWS
Stop Adding These 9 Ingredients To Your Charcuterie Board
BY SARAH BISACCA
Butter Crackers
Charcuterie boards are versatile, shareable meals and although they’re completely customizable to your tastes, you should pass on the butter crackers.
Butter crackers are too crumbly to stand up to the demands of a charcuterie board, and their buttery flavor might be too rich, overpowering the rest of the charcuterie.
Juicy Fruits
Fresh fruit is a key component of a balanced charcuterie board, but you’ll want to carefully choose the fruits, avoiding any that are too juicy like mango or pineapple.
When fruits are too juicy, that liquid can seep into nearby meats and cheeses, threatening their taste and textural integrity, so stick with classics like grapes or figs.
Edible Flowers
Edible flowers can make charcuterie boards even more Instagram-worthy, but they take up valuable real estate that could be devoted to yummier options.
Although beautiful, the flowers don’t add much in the way of flavor. Plus, you’ll spend your evening assuring confused guests that the flowers are actually edible.
Pungent Cheeses
Meat and cheese are the main draw of charcuterie boards, but that doesn’t mean you can choose willy-nilly, especially when it comes to overly pungent cheeses.
Tailor your cheese selection with your guests in mind. If you insist on a more pungent cheese, opt for a milder option like gorgonzola rather than Roquefort.
Hummus
Condiments are an integral part of charcuterie, but since the board is about balance you should skip on hummus, which has a tendency to steal the show.
Since hummus is so rich already, it can clash when paired with other rich ingredients like meat and cheese, so try an acidic mustard or a tangy jam instead.