Why Sweet Cheeses Are One Of The Trickiest Additions To A Charcuterie Board

By now, we likely all agree that charcuterie boards are both an art and a science, and although there's technically no right or wrong way to make one, there are certain guidelines that can help you craft the perfect blend of flavors (kind of like when you're figuring out which wine to pair with your pizza). One charcuterie board pick that can be really tough to nail the flavor profile for? Overly sweet or dessert-esque cheeses, from chocolate-flavored mascarpone to cheeses sweetened with fruit. Some charcuterie aficionados even call these some of the worst cheeses to add to your charcuterie board. But just like any cheese, sweet cheeses do deserve a place on your plate — as long as it's done right.

So we brought in an expert to give us all some guidance on how to properly incorporate creamy, fruity, chocolatey cheeses into a well-balanced board. Dominick DiBartolomeo, the owner of The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, had a few thoughts — but his main tip? "Use contrasting flavors. If you have a sweet cheese, pair it with something salty or acidic," DiBartolomeo advises.

The first step in balancing your flavors is being aware of what you have. If you're just looking for the best cheeses at Trader Joe's based on vibes, you might not really know how sweet or savory your charcuterie board picks are, since it's not the kind of thing that's always listed on the label. The flavor profile does, of course, depend on the specific cheese, but Dominick DiBartolomeo says that as a general rule of thumb, it's good to keep in mind that creamier cheeses with fruit or honey infusions and milder cheeses like mascarpone and ricotta all tend to be on the sweeter side.

Once you've determined the sweetness of your cheese choices, you can move on to the fun part: pairing them up with complementary items. According to the expert, you're looking for more than just generally savory additions — true contrast means looking for more complex flavor notes like saltiness and acidity to balance out a sweet and creamy cheese. DiBartolomeo's picks are prosciutto and nuts for salt, cornichons and mustard for acidity, and bellota, a Spanish ham, for nuttiness, but you could also try adding olives, salty crackers, or mini pretzels. And if the cheese is still too sweet for you? Switch to something more savory, and bring in the sweetness via an accompaniment like honey, fruit compote, or balsamic vinegar instead. "I love having something sweet on my savory charcuterie boards that are not cheese-focused," DiBartolomeo says.