The holidays are here! This means tons of parties, get-togethers, and food! What party is complete without a cheese board? Charcuterie boards are great for a crowd because there is a little bit of everything to munch on and it gives you the opportunity to try new items!
We have an extensive cheese department, so how do you choose what to put on your board?? We are breaking down some of our new items, seasonal items, and some classic must tries! Here is our holiday charcuterie guide!
Tête de Moine
This is a delicate cheese from the Swiss Alps. This gets its unique and beautiful look by hand shaving the cheese on a tool called a girolle or a cheese curler. The cheese has a natural rind and they put it down on the girolle and you shave the cheese which turns it into rosette. It is called Tete de Moine which translates to head of the monk because the shaving process is supposed to resemble the shaving of a monk’s head. Normally, a person would have to purchase the girolle and the wheel of cheese, but we’re excited to be carrying the rosettes already created! The beautiful design makes for a great touch on a charcuterie board! When you open the package you are hit with a rich, dense, and funky flavor, but because how delicate the cheese is, as soon as oxygen touches it, it changes into a mild cheese that melts in your mouth
Partufo al Tartufo
This is a young parmigiano blended with Italian truffles and imported from Italy. It is naturally lactose free. If you like black truffles, you will love this cheese! There is a hint of pepper and a delicious taste of truffle with this parmigiano which is available only while supplies last
Auricchio Provolone Dolce
This provolone is great for people who don’t like provolone because it’s not as strong or sharp as a typical provolone. It is more mild, but still incredibly flavorful which makes it an enjoyable cheese. In each bite, you can taste the butter coming through which adds to its more mild taste and makes it different than your typical provolone. On the board, we cut the pieces thin to allow more oxygen to get to the cheese and the flavor to come through even more.
Amanti Limoncello
This vibrant table cheese is its own category of cheese and you can smell the limoncello as soon as you open it! It is a semi-soft cheese that is creamy and buttery, but full of zest. You can truly taste the lemon coming through. Plus the beautiful yellow color makes it great for any charcuterie board! When cutting it, be sure to take the rind and all the texture off– you want to get to the smooth part of the cheese!
This cheese pairs great with The Fine Cheese Co’s lemon, salt, and EVOO cracker. The cracker has sea salt on it which cuts some of the tang from the limoncello cheese, but the hints of olive oil and lemon in the cracker brings out the best flavor of the cheese itself!
Two Sisters Isabella Aged Gouda
This 12-15 month aged gouda from Holland. It is a balanced gouda– it is sweet and creamy, but savory at the same time due to salt crystals you can taste throughout the cheese.
Le Crémeux de Bourgogne Brie
This is a decadent triple cream Brie. It is smooth and buttery, you can even see the butter line where it meets the cream. It is very spreadable which makes it delicious with a plain cracker. Don’t like the rind on a brie? This one has a simple solution! You can turn it on it’s side and carve the cheese out or butterfly it to get right to the middle.
Delice Papaya Lincet
This incredibly sweet creamed cheese is imported from France and it almost tastes like a dessert! It is a soft, spreadable cheese that is covered in papaya chunks. It is super sweet. The bright chunks make it stand out on a charcuterie board. You can keep it whole or even cut it in half. We only get this one a couple times a year, so you need to get it while you can!
Sartori Black Pepper BellaVitano
A favorite of ours– this creamy BellaVitano cheese wheel is hand rubbed with pepper which gives it a subtle spice and adds a balance to some of the sweeter cheeses on the board. Don’t forget– the rind is meant to be eaten on this cheese!
Valencia almonds
This Spanish almond does not have a hull. They are coated in oil and sea salt.
Mitica Moka Pecans
From Spain, these caramelized pecans are dusted in a cocoa and coffee mix. These typically go great with any goat cheese as well!
Can Bech Jams
In tons of different flavors, these smaller jams are great for a cheese board! There are so many flavors that you can choose whatever works best for your board. For a limited time only, we also have 3pks available! These packs are great if you can’t choose just one for a board or they make for a great gift for the foodie in your life! We used the black fig on this board!
Raincoast
We currently have seasonal, must try flavors of these crackers! Gingerbread and spiced pear or pumpkin crackers, they add a fun, seasonal flare to your boards! These are only available while supplies last!
La Panzanella crackers
These classic charcuterie crackers now come in mini packs which make the perfect amount for groups of 4-6 people and are great with anything! We used the half pack and it was a perfect amount of crackers
Tressors French crisp
This waffle crisp is durable, yet delicate. The waffle shape allows the cracker to hold the cheese perfectly. They’re durable in the weight and shape, but neutral so they go with anything.
More Seasonal Must Tries
The great thing about holiday season is that we get tons of new items to try out! Here are some more seasonal items you need to try before they’re gone! Try it yourself, put it on a charcuterie board, or get a little gift basket together as a gift that keeps on giving for the foodies in your life!
Cheeses
Le Roule Pineapple
A gift that we look forward to at the end of the year is this cheese! It is a creamed cheeses from France hand rolled with fresh pineapple in it. While we have other flavors throughout the year, the pineapple is only available once a year. You can smell the fresh pineapple as soon as you open it and that delicious aroma instantly brings you on a tropical vacation somewhere.
Carvalley glacier point
This blue cheese infused with black truffle is available only for the holidays
Mirfoma Switzerland Fondue
Infused with black truffles, this ready to go fondue kit makes great fondue or even pasta sauce too. All you have to do is just heat and eat! Available while supplies last
Locatelli Crema Cacio e Pepe
Back by popular demand this is a pecorino with whole black pepper corns, It is a high end spreadable cheese from Cremona, Italy. This is their most popular flavor and even has recipes in the lid. This is great with pasta and mixed into mashed potatoes
La gruta del sol brandy
A brandy infused sheep’s milk from Spain! Pairs great with breads, nuts, honey etc.
Carr valley
Boozin Billy— Carr Valley’s Cardona goat milk cheese is aged and then soaked in Wollersheim Winery Port for a vibrant purple rind and slightly sweet flavor.
Boozin Ewe— a sheep’s milk cheese soaked in a local Wisconsin Wollersheim Winery Port for a beautiful purple rind and sweet flavor.
Point Reyes Toma and Toma Truffle
This woman owned company from California produces artisan table cheese. These cheeses are produced in cave which makes it subtly earthy. They are semi hard, but extremely creamy.
Grand Marnier Pâté
This holiday blend only comes out once a year. It is a mix of pork, duck, and chicken then blended with Grand Marnier instead of cognac.
Jams/Spreads
Deca & Otto Dulce de Leche Spread
Imported from Columbia and made with whole pasteurized, buffalo milk and caramel– this milk caramel spread is such a treat!
Acacia con tartufo
Truffles are a delicacy and seasonal– so we have to enjoy them while we can! This is a honey packed in Italy with Italian black truffle.
Divina date spread
Different from the typical fig spreads, this plain date spread takes the same idea, but uses only date! It is naturally sweetened from the dates. It is great on a blue cheese or baked Brie.
Crackers
Olinas variety pack
The delicious Olinas crackers are currently available in 3 packs!
Christmas Tree Crackers
We know shapes are always important on a charcuterie board and what’s better than seasonal shapes? These Christmas tree crackers are neutral which make it great for any cheese or jam and the shape adds to the festivities!
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