The Cheese Board Mistake That Leaves You With Flavorless Cheese

When there's company coming over — or if you're company enough to merit it — nothing kicks off a party like a festive cheese board. While the accompaniments (like crackers and crostini, fruits and jams) all play a role, the stars of the show are the cheddars, havartis, goudas, manchegas, and even smelly European cheese varieties, all artfully (we use the term loosely) arrayed on the board. But if your guests seem more perplexed than pleased by your offering, you might have skipped this crucial step.

Cheese that is being served up on a cheese board should actually be brought up to room temperature before serving. This is because cold cheese that is fresh out of the refrigerator contains constricted fat (and therefore, flavor) molecules. By allowing the cheese to come up to room temperature, these molecules are released from their rigidity, letting the cheese's flavor permeate all throughout the wedge. The room temperature air also changes the texture of the cheese, making it softer, yes, but also more sumptuous and creamy — an altogether much more desirable bite.

To bring your cheese up to temperature, take it out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan on cutting it up and serving it on your favorite cheese board. This will give those fat molecules plenty of time to relax and chill out to release their luscious flavors. First, place the cheese on a clean surface. Then you'll want to cover it with something so that it doesn't dry out while it's sitting. You can overturn a bowl over it or if you have a cloche, that will work, too (or a clean dish towel, at the very least). What you don't want to do is let the cheese overheat and start to sweat, so keep an eye on it.

Cheese is beholden to the two hour rule, which has been set forth by the USDA and states that no perishable food should be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. For that reason, refrigerated cheeses really only have a window of tasty opportunity of one hour — one hour to bring it up to room temperature, and then one hour at room temp before it should be put back in the fridge. (Luckily, with some cheeses, if they do start to mold after being restored to the refrigerator, you can cut off the offending part and still eat the rest.)