How and when to serve cheese

An appetizer, a side dish or an after-dessert treat …

Cheese can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If we serve cheese as a dessert, it is recommended to choose up to nine types of cheeses. If it is a part of the selection it is advisable to limit to a maximum of five types of cheese because cheese is quite filling and no one wants the next course to be left on the plate…

A serving of cheese is very important. Wooden boards, marble or glass plates, fruit (dried or fresh), different cheese flavours, sizes, shapes, textures and colours will make your mouth water just by looking at your cheese plate…

Cheeses with intense and sharper taste and smell should not be put next to young, softer cheeses. It is important that we serve cheese in a way that it does not stay cut for a longer time and that we avoid touching other foods, especially cured meat products to avoid taking over their scent. It is not recommended to cut a lot of cheese before serving because it dries quickly.

Bread and pastries are served separately, best cut ​​into smaller pieces.

Cheeses come in different shapes and forms. The best way is to cut it in a way that each piece contains a different part of the cheese structure (if the cheese has crust it means that each cut piece should have a piece of crust and the body). For cutting soft cheese we recommend to soak a knife in water to prevent tearing cheese while cutting it.

Cheese should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in the original packaging, in a plastic container with a lid, in an airtight container or on a wooden base with a glass bell above. Mould-ripened cheeses should be kept wrapped in a perforated foil.

Cheese should be removed from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving so that it develops its characteristic aroma and texture and, if mature, it can be appropriately sliced and served.

If you do not need to, do not buy large amounts of cheese; buy smaller pieces more often so that you can spend soon.

“Cheese”  - Image courtesy of zole4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
“Mozzarella Cheese Snack” - Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net