WHELP....Its time! Let's Talk Boards :)

Well, its been a long time coming, but it's time for us to discuss CHARCUTERIE! Dun dun dunnnn. This often misunderstood, likely mispronounced, and almost always misspelled (see: sharkoochie), dinner party and country club buffet staple, is amazing when orchestrated properly. I'm going to cover the difference between charcuterie and salumi, and why they are both delicious, yet not the same. We'll also talk about cheeses, and what goes well with what!

...whew!....grab a coffee and a water...this is going to be a long one

Okay, for starters, Charcuterie; what is it? Simply put, it is a French term (surprise!) that refers to a style of preparation focused on prepared meat products. While this category can include sliced cooked meats, the primary focus will be terrines, galantines, pate, and confits. In other words, meats that have been cooked and then formed, molded, or blended. So to recap, if your board has only sliced meats in the meat category, you have a salumi board, not a charcuterie board. Which we will cover in a bit :)

Common Accompaniments for a Charcuterie Board:

-Nuts

-Dried Fruits/Berries

-Olives

-Pickled Items

-Bread/Crackers

-Jams (seriously..look it up. LOL not just a shameless plug. Okay, definitely a shameless plug, but also true)

So now you're all "cool so then what's Salumi?" Glad you asked! :)

Salumi is an Italian term (I mean...surprise again) meaning "Salted Meat". And it is exactly that! The entire wonderful, delicious, mouth watering, cured, dried, salted, and cooked meats that we all love so much. Our Chianti consumption inducing friends include, mortadella, soppressata, salami, bresaola, and many many more!

Common Accompaniments for a Salumi Board:

-Salumi boards are generally focused on the meats themselves, with only a few pickled vegetables and breads.

"What...do I do with all of this cheese!"

The best platters and boards combine a little from each category. This is where your cheese comes in, as they are a great way to tie the board together. Try and have a soft mild cheese, a hard sharp cheese, and something funky (looking at you Roquefort) for starters. You can add whatever else you like.

The majority of "charcuterie" boards you see are actually super fancy "salumi" boards. Because, let's face it, it's easier to slice salami than make terrines LOL. And that is OK! All of these things are delicious! So GO! make your boards! Have fun, experiment!

And if you need a great jam.....I know a guy ;) ....or click the shop button