Use these simple tips for making a cheese platter that your guests will love.
BC produces a rich variety of cheeses. Use the suggestions below to create a cheese platter that includes cheeses with a variety of textures (from soft to hard cheeses) and a variety of flavours (from a mild flavour to a more pronounced one). Select at least 3 cheeses for your platter and serve with a variety of accompaniments (such as bread, crackers, chutneys, and compotes).
For a cheese tasting, plan about 250 grams of total cheese per person. For an end of meal platter, plan 45 to 60 grams of cheese per person.
Suggested cheeses
| Mild flavour | Medium flavour | Strong flavour | |
| Soft cheeses |
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| Semi-soft cheeses |
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| Semi-firm cheeses |
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| Firm cheeses |
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| Hard cheeses |
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NOTE:
This list is by no means comprehensive. For the very unique artisan cheeses listed above, we have identified the cheesemaker in brackets. To find out more about all the wonderful cheeses made in BC, check each cheesemaker’s website under our Dairy Processors list.
Do you have favourite cheeses to suggest? Drop us a line below and we will be happy to add it to this list.
Looking for a wine or beer to pair your cheeses with? Check our guide to pairing Canadian cheese with Mission Hill wine and guide to pairing cheese with beer.
Suggested accompaniments
Breads & crackers
Raisin bread, nut bread, sunflower seed loaf, sourdough bread or French baguette, bread with herbs—any kind of bread goes well with cheese, as long as the taste does not overwhelm the cheese. Select bread according to taste and texture. A crisp, salted cracker with a soft cheese provides an interesting contrast in texture. So does dark rye bread with havarti, or nut bread with a blue cheese.
Pickles, fruit, nuts & more
Homemade pickles go great with strong-flavoured cheese. Try cranberry and apple jam with Canadian Swiss cheese. Try onion and maple syrup preserves with brie. And have some fresh fruit on hand to cleanse the palate. You can’t go wrong with dried fruit like figs, prunes and raisins which go splendidly with just about all cheeses. Fresh walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are also delightful.
Tips
- For best results, always cut cheese while it is cold.
- Cut round or square cheeses in wedges from the centre, cylindrical and rectangular cheeses in thin slices, and small cheeses in pieces.
- If you prepare a plate or a cheese board beforehand, cover it with a damp cloth to keep the cheese moist and to prevent the flavours from blending together.
- Make sure that the cheeses do not touch each other to avoid mixing their flavours. For the same reason, provide a different knife for each cheese.
- To fully enjoy the flavours, bring the cheeses up to room temperature by taking them out of the fridge 45 minutes to one hour before the tasting.
- After you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your new tasty discoveries, don’t forget to wrap your cheeses separately to protect their aromas and flavours. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or in aluminum foil or waxed paper and they should keep for a long time. Check these additional tips for storing cheese.
- Remember that cooking with leftover cheeses is always a delicious alternative! Grate or melt hardened cheeses into your favourite recipes, frittata or quiche. Shavings of Canadian cheddar, havarti, or swiss can liven up a soup. Leftover brie is ideal in an omelette. Give brick cheese a second life by shredding it on pizza. Or try this amazing recipe for Welsh Rarebit.
