By Laura Rancie.
Something that seems so standard for any family or friends gathering is the exciting charcuterie board (and all its variations, like the jarcuterie, on which we did a recent article). However, what surprised me when researching the topic was that the modern-day version of the grazing platter is said to be a very typical Australian thing. Would you have guessed that?
In France, it is common culture to finish a good meal with a selection of cheese. There’s no real name for it, it’s just what happens. It’s what you do. Perhaps you’d also see a dry saucisson and fresh fruit. Then there's the assiette charcuterie, but it's one or the other.
Of course, Monsieur Fancy Pants may add some pâtés, cornichons, a duck terrine or pork rillettes to the mix.
In Italy, the focus is around cured meats, salumi, which may range in thickness and fatness. Their flavour profiles will be slightly different but include mortadella, lardo, prosciutto and nduja.
Signor Fancy Pants here would include flavours to the meats, like cracked pepper in the mortadella, or olives and rosemary in the lardo. Typical Italian additions would be marinated artichoke hearts, roasted capsicums, ricotta or pecorino and while baguettes are reserved for the French, here in Italy the choice of dough comes through in the form of fresh focaccia or ciabatta.
On the other side of France, we head to Spain for its unique take on a charcuterie board where the front and centre focus is on the idea of tapas.
Spanish meats like jamon and chorizo, or the air-dried and salt-cured Cecina dominate, while cheese preferences lean towards a manchego or iberico, with Spain’s’ preferred almonds, the marcona. Senor Fancy Pants here will be holding pan de barra, he’d also be drinking a dry, red Spanish wine.
We circle back to Australia, where our great love of food and hotpot of cultures has resulted in taking all the things we love from abroad and putting our take on them. It is here in our beloved homeland; we dare not entertain without a grazing platter of some sort.
Boosted by our great access to tropical fruits and fresh veggies, Aussies may add dragon fruit or passionfruit halves to that long grazing board or charcuterie platter. You’ll find dark chocolate squares, macadamia nuts, varieties of dips, gluten-free crackers and the ever-popular carrot and celery sticks.
Yes, we certainly have our own take on the delicious, shared feast, but I wouldn’t agree with the UK notion that we created the grazing board. What do you think?
