Types of cheese used on a cheese platter

Different varieties of cheese can decorate your cheese platter. But before that it is important to learn the various types of cheese found in the market. Cheese has become part of our culture and almost an indispensable food item. Depending on the moisture content cheese can be classified into four major types, soft cheese include cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, brie, mozzarella, menuster, bleu, Roquefort and the like. While displaying soft cheese variety on a platter it can be complemented with pasta and fruits. They can form a great accompaniment with breakfast. Semi soft cheeses are American cheese, co-jack and Colby. They are strong flavors and are used commonly with grilled sandwich. The third type of cheese is semi hard cheese variety that consists of provolone, Jarlsberg, Gouda, cheddar among others. They are eaten with crackers or fruits. They melt well and hence can be used for stuffing too. Finally comes the hard cheeses like asiago, Swiss, romano, Gruyere, Parmesan. These varieties can be grated and used as toppings. They also go well with wine, soup, fruits, et al.

Cheese can also be categorized based on the milk. French brie, mozzarella, Asiago, Gouda are all made of cow’s milk. They range from soft creamy to hard varieties of cheese. Cheeses made of sheep’s milk are Manchego, Roquefortblue. The former has a mild taste and the latter has a tangy flavor. Feta is made from goat’s milk. While buying cheese made of goat’s milk check out the label for words like ‘chevre’ which means goat in French.

While decorating a cheese platter ensure that the cheese is cut just on the day the platter is prepared. The earlier you slice them they tend to lose moisture and aroma. Always store the cheese in a cool, dry place. Usage of paper bags to store cheese is advisable as they remove the moisture content. Arranging cheese in a tasteful manner is welcome. Just a handful of varieties will do while designing the platter. The cheese should come to room temperature before serving. Before starting the assembly of cheese on a platter find out how many guests will be arriving for the party. Cheese boards are set to form great appetizer before starting the main course. You can arrange cheese from different countries on a plate and place them on a cheese board. Labeling the cheese and providing a brief description could be informative to the guests. Provide separate knifes for each cheese variety so that the flavors do not mix.

Setting up cheese platters for parties

Cooking great meals is just not sufficient serving them in a perfect manner does matter. How to add glamour to your dinner table with best displays need to be learnt. No dinner table can be complete without a cheese platter. Arranging them to the delight of the guests is what makes your party a grand success. Putting together cheese in an art and could really work wonders for your party. Cheese platter can be organized based on their origin, texture, flavor or milk type. Cheese has to be arranged on a large tray so that they are not crushed into powder. Another characteristic of cheese is that they tend to absorb the flavor of the cheese placed next to it, therefore ensure that cheese of different variety are not put too close to each other. Give each type of cheese some room, this would help retain the flavor and the taste of the cheese. Make sure that the outer rind is cut off so that the cheese remains soft. They should be cut into bite-size pieces, neither too small nor too large to hold in your mouth. Another recommendation is that cheese should not be displayed straightaway on the platter; use some bread to hold the cheese. Here bread is just a display item but the star of the show is cheese.

Serving cheese on a platter depends on what type of cheese you pick for the display. There are many varieties of cheese found in the market and buying cheese based on the milk type is most recommended. Use at least three to five varieties of cheese this could satisfy the guests. Accompany the cheese with olives or almonds so that the taste of cheese is cleared when the guests move to the next variety.

Using hard and soft cheese next to each other on a platter is a good idea. Cut the soft cheese so that the cream is visible at the middle. If the cheese is too creamy you can leave it in the container. Ensure that the pieces of cheese are not overcrowded on the platter. Placing the cheese based on the texture is as important as placing them depending on their taste. Cheese can be soft, creamy, semi hard, crumbly and hard. Likewise the taste of cheese also can vary from mild, medium to strong. Cheese comes in different colors too. When it comes to choosing cheese there are lot of choices, Gouda, Parmesan, Camembert, Brie, Cheddar, herbal cheese and the like. Show variety on the platter to enchant your guests.