Serving and keeping cheese
A deliciously served cheese platter is a perfect adornment of any occasion, because cheese can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cheese is served as an appetizer, the main course or after the dessert. Here you can find some useful tips on serving the cheese platters and storing cheese.
- When sorting a cheese platter as an appetizer, limit your
choice to five kinds of cheese maximum because cheese is very
filling. If we are talking about a cheese platter functioning as a
dessert, you can choose up to nine types of cheeses.
- What is pleasing to the eye, will also please your palate:
select cheeses of different sizes, shapes, textures and
colours.
- Do not put strong cheeses with sharp and intense flavour and
smell next to the tender, young cheeses of delicate flavour.
- Presentation is half of the success: use a wooden tray, board,
marble or glass plate, a straw mat or a basket; fresh and dried
fruits are welcome.
- Bread and buns should be served separately, preferably sliced
to small pieces or cubes.
- Keep the cheese in the refrigerator, wrapped in the original
packaging, wax paper, non-airtight foil or air-tight bowl, so as
not to lose moisture. Never leave it in a container with other
foodstuffs of pronounced flavour, because cheese breathes and it
could take over any smell and spoil.
- Take it out of refrigerator at least an hour before serving:
you can feel its full flavour only at room temperature. Take into
account that the soft cheeses reach room temperature sooner than
hard ones.
- Take off the original packaging and cut it just before serving,
because from that moment on it begins to dry.
- Blue cheeses should be wrapped well in their packaging because
they spread the smell and mould to the food in their vicinity.
- A late-night cheese snack can help get a good sleep. This can
be contributed to the tryptophan, one of the amino-acids contained
in cheese which drastically reduces stress and encourages
sleep!
- Experts recommend finishing a meal with a piece of cheese: a
high percentage of calcium and phosphorus in cheese strengthens the
teeth and protects them from decay!