August Greetings, Crunch Crew! We are closing out summer with one of our favorite holidays to celebrate here at John Wm. Macy’s. It’s National Charcuterie Day! It’s a day just for us, the charcuterie enthusiasts of the world. We have put together a list of our expert-level tips so you at home can celebrate with your own picture-perfect charcuterie board!
Strategy is Key
The first step in making a charcuterie board is to think of a strategy. Start with a theme - this could be as simple as a season, holiday, or drink pairings. Your theme will help you set the foundation for your platter. Once your theme is chosen, then you can select the ingredients you will be including in your charcuterie board! Be sure to pick at least 3-5 different cheeses, at least 2 different meats, 2 types of crackers, and some add-ons, like fruit spread and olives!
Texture Matters
Texture plays a very important role in planning your ingredients for your charcuterie board! Start with cheeses: include a soft cheese like Brie, a semi-soft variety like Havarti, and a firm option, such as Manchego. Next, choose something chewy and briny like gherkins. These have more of a neutral texture and will bring an added salted flavor to your board. Next, pick something smooth and sweet like flavored honey or apricot jam. Finally, no charcuterie board is complete without our signature crunch! Our John Wm. Macy’s Rosemary & Cheddar Cheesecrisps are the perfect addition to any board!
Perfect Placement
Start by anchoring your board with larger or more interesting items like a soft cheese wheel, small jam jar or John Wm. Macy’s Cheesesticks. These will anchor your board, and then you can build outward around these items, accentuating them with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to use an odd number of similar items like cheeses or meats. This can help to make your board more appealing once all your items are all laid out. It is also helpful to have extra items like fruit or nuts available to fill in any empty spaces on your board and help it appear more full!
We hope these tips can help take your charcuteries board to the next level! Tag us on social media @johnwmmacys and show us how you are celebrating National Charcuterie Day! Happy snacking, Crunch Crew!
