Charcuterie By Char
In my eyes, charcuterie represents more than just a board with cheese. It manifests my personal values and professional goals while creating a fulfilling daily purpose. The first cheeseboard I ever made was 12 years ago with my grandmother on Christmas Eve in Seguin, Texas. My grandmother explained to me that cheese boards are great because, in her words, everyone likes cheese. So we arranged crackers, homemade blackberry jam, and a big block of cubed sharp cheddar cheese. That day, I watched all 29 members of my extended family gather on the back porch and eat every last crumb of the cheeseboard, as my older cousins told me what a fantastic job I did. All my family lives in Texas; my immediate family and I are the only ones living out of state on the East Coast. Making charcuterie boards reminds me of my grandmother and the quality time we spent together and connects me to my Texas relatives, despite the 1600 miles between us.
My relationship with charcuterie boards transformed from a fun hobby to a business endeavor passion in my junior year of high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. It felt like everyone I knew started their own business, whether tie dye or jewelry, out of their homes and by their own means of production. I felt the contagious inspiration through my phone screen, and after constant internal debate and doubt, I took the plunge and launched an Instagram account, @CharcuterieByChar. My first post read the caption, "Welcome to CharcuteriebyChar." Little did I know, these three words transformed my identity while solidifying my professional goal: opening my own restaurant. Since that first post, my skill and craftsmanship have grown drastically. I moved onto themes besides cheese, such as fruit, candy, and dessert. I'm most proud of the gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free dessert board I made for two of my best friends.
In the early days of being a small business owner, my main clientele was my parents' friends, practicing social distancing while hosting small gatherings in their yards. I offered to split the boards into two smaller ones to ensure no cross-contamination risk. From the beginning, allergies and dietary restrictions became an essential value of my business. As someone with allergies herself, I understand the anxiety and stress of eating food anywhere but the safety of your personal kitchen. Anyone should be able to eat anything from a charcuterie board without worrying about potentially harmful consequences. This brand value connects to the more creative, unique aspects of creating boards. Anything belongs on a charcuterie board; there are no rules. What might seem delicious to some can be repulsive to others, yet all the components join together in harmony on a charcuterie board. Its possibilities are endless, and the opportunity to create a hospitable, customized experience for customers is an indescribable feeling.
When The Dish and I began discussing a board to be featured on the cover, I was over the moon with excitement. The theme of Around the World presented an amazing opportunity to combine the best elements of both and create something unforgettable. The board demonstrates charcuterie culture throughout the globe, focusing on four main countries in particular: France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The classics recognized on today's modern charcuterie boards originally stem from French charcuterie traditions. Items like soft brie and Comte cheese pair perfectly with ginger-pear jelly and a slice of fresh baguette. In Germany, charcuterie boards consist of rich, substantive accouterments such as smoked ham, Gouda cheese, and spicy mustard to release a new level of flavor. Italian charcuterie boards center around the main event: salami. Whether prosciutto or mortadella, Italian meats pair well with things like grapes, olives, and focaccia. Spanish charcuterie boards branch from the idea of tapas and utilize salty, bold flavors. Try a slice of manchego with figs, marcona almonds, or Jamón, a dry-cured Spanish ham, and transform to Spain for a moment through your taste buds.
While there are many components of a charcuterie board, each component is a manifestation of a crucial value and purpose that I attempt to fulfill every day. Values like connection, comfort, diversity, and delicious food are integrated into each board. My goal is to make someone's life a little easier, a little better, and to facilitate happiness through the form of food. I hope you all enjoyed reading about the board as much as I enjoyed making it!
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