Since about 8000 B.C., we’ve been enjoying the nuances, flavors, textures, and aromas of cheese. Paired with crusty bread and a glass of vino, few foods are as satisfying and as stress free; cheese is the perfect solution when entertaining. But how do you assemble the ultimate cheese platter, and what can you pair it with? Read on for some simple tips that will make you and your guests smile and say cheese.

购买基础知识

It’s important to shop somewhere you trust. Find a place staffed by friendly, knowledgeable cheesemongers who are generous with advice and tastes. Ask them for stories or fun facts to pass along to those sharing your platter.

瞄准三到五个奶酪，这些奶酪具有各种质地和牛奶类型。如果董事会将在多条饮食中陪伴其他菜肴，则三分之一。如果奶酪是演出的明星，请选择五个。（如果您包括太多，您的客人将不知道从哪里开始，并且肯定不会记住所有这些精美的奶酪的名字。）

购买约1盎司。每人每奶酪的人，如果奶酪所供应的一切，也许会更多。Include at least one entry-level cheese like a creamy Brie or an aged Cheddar, along with something most people in the room won’t be familiar with, like Challerhocker, a creamier cousin of Gruyère, or Caveman Blue, a balanced, toasty blue from Rogue Creamery in Oregon.

Arranging the platter

请确保在食用前几个小时将奶酪从冰箱中取出；服务时应该在室温下。

发挥创意，并选择您的董事会选择。服务车辆通常与奶酪本身一样多。将您的分类服务于木制切菜板，最喜欢的菜板或奶酪板或石板上。

When plating, leave oozier cheeses in one piece for your guests to serve themselves, but cut a small starter piece, including the rind, to signal that rind should be included in the bite. If it’s a creamy round packaged in a box or wrapped in spruce bark, you can remove the top rind and allow guests to dip into the cheese.

对于硬奶酪，可以为您的客人提供份额，因此很容易抓住一件。分配时，相等的果皮分布是关键。不过，不要强调它。如果奶酪似乎想崩溃，请使用削皮刀制作块而不是碎片。

Choosing accompaniments

Classic companions include honey, jam, cornichons, olives, cured meat, figs, pears, or dried fruits and nuts, particularly Marcona almonds. But don’t be afraid to try something new. The most memorable cheese boards are playful and unstuffy. Try bacon with a washed-rind cheese like Époisses, chocolate with an aged Gouda, or gingersnaps as the “crackers” for blue cheese.

事实上,由于蓝色奶酪往往是咸的,它是always a great idea to pair them with something sweet, like honey, caramel, chocolate, sweet-tart jams, dried fruit, candied nuts, or slices of artisan bread that are studded with fruit and/or nuts. And sweet things go very well with other salty cheeses, too, including hard ones like Parmigiano-Reggiano and funky washed-rind varieties like Taleggio, Limburger, and Époisses.

As far as crackers and bread go, aim for variety. Offer a neutral option, such as a baguette or water cracker, and a more complex, texture-driven one, such as crostini, seeded crackers, or miche.