What's a Charcuterie Board and How to Make the Perfect Board

If you've been able to go out recently, you may have noticed an uptick in restaurants adding Charcuterie to their menus. It may sound fancy, but rest assured they're a lot more common than you would think.

What is Charcuterie?

In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced "shahr-ku-tuh-ree") is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. The word charcuterie originated in France, and it translates to "pork-butcher shop." While the original French translation refers to pork, many modern charcuterie boards include other types of food like pate, cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts, and dips.

In French, the cook who prepares the meat is called a Charcutier. The English pronunciation of charcuterie varies slightly from the original French. The correct French pronunciation of charcuterie is "shar-coo-tree."

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

There is no one way to make a Charcuterie Board. You have to take in consideration of your guest, allergies, and diet restrictions. So you can make your board fit your event type. Here are some things to take into consideration.

Shape - Rectangular boards are easy to work with and their shape makes a great canvas for laying out ingredients. Round boards are the next most popular shape, but they're a little more challenging when it comes to your portions. Once you've mastered a rectangular or round board, try experimenting with different shapes.