When you think of the Italian chopping board par excellence, there is only one image that immediately comes to mind: the simple yet delicious pairing of cold cuts, cheese, and jam. By combining our cured meats with mature cheeses and the right jam, you can delight your palate with balanced flavors that leave room for moments of pure pleasure.
Do you know why cheese and cold cuts perfectly match with honey and jam? It seems that the reason is mainly chemical. Take the cheese for example: it is almost a completely sugar-free food so it perfectly complements with the sweet taste of jam, marmalade, and honey. But which jam to choose? There are several jams designed to be combined with savory food: pear jam, fig jam, citrus fruit jam, apricot jam, strawberry jam, or onion jam… there’s plenty of choice!
Even for pairing cold cuts and cheese, it is wise to think of the perfect combinations based on their flavors. Here are some guidelines to follow in order to make delicious cutting boards:
– Sweet and slightly seasoned salami are ideal if matched with well seasoned and tough cheese
– Mortadella and cooked ham are perfect if matched with fatty and aromatic types of cheese
– Cooked ham is also well paired with ricotta cheese and fontina cheese
– Finally, raw ham goes well with provolone cheese and melted cheese
How to create the right pairing
For the combination, it is important to keep in mind the balance of taste. Therefore, the softer and sweeter the cheese, the more acidulous the taste of jams and marmalades should be. On the contrary, the stronger and more intense the cheese, the sweeter the jam or marmalade should be. Furthermore, if between a piece of cheese and a spoonful of honey you can also taste a slice of ham or a cube of mortadella, then it is perfect!
You can find curiosities and alternative recipes in our dedicated section of the blog.
