Cheese Tasting Tips for the holidays

For optimal flavor, serve cheeses at room temperature. Remove them from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes prior to serving. (It takes a bit longer for hard cheeses to reach room temperature). Only remove from the fridge the amount of cheese you’ll be serving.

Avoid overwhelming guests with too many choices. Four or five cheeses allow for a variety of flavors to be sampled. Keep strong-smelling varieties away from delicate cheeses.

Serve cheeses of different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors for an appealing cheese board. Try Hautly Baby Edam, Hautly White Cheddar, and Hautly Aged Provolone Halfmoon with a homemade Hautly Ricotta spread. (See recipes for yummy ideas.)

Add olives, grapes, nuts, or figs that complement your cheeses. Garnish the platter with spring greens or curly leaves to dress it up.

Serve cheeses on a wooden cutting board, marble tray, or fun serving platter. Leave enough room for individual knives. Be creative. If you don’t have cheese knives, use your butter knives from your cutlery set.

Always serve crusty bread or water crackers to cleanse the palate between cheeses.