“A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be over sophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk’s leap toward immortality.” ~ Clifton Fadiman (American writer and editor; New Yorker book reviewer, 1904-1999)
Cheese glorious cheese.
Cheese, we find it on platters at parties, wonderfully gooey and melted between two slices of bread, in fondue pots and in many comfort foods.
While researching this post, I found some very interesting cheese facts:
- According to the USDA, the average American consumes 31.4 pounds of cheese annually.
- It takes 10 gallons of milk to produce 1 pound of cheese.
- The flavor, color and texture of cheese are determined by the type of milk used, the bacteria that separate the curds from the whey and the amount of time the cheese ages.
- Flavorings can often be added to augment the flavor of cheese also.
- The United States is the largest producer of cheese in the world.
- Great Britain has about 700 local cheeses; and France and Italy have about 400 each.
The facts indicate that people love cheese, which is probably why there is a cheese platter at most parties.
Here are some great tips so you can learn how to make a cheese platter for a spectacular party:
- Eric Paul, the owner of The Cheese Traveler, located in Albany, New York, recommended that a minimum of three cheeses be on every platter. Each cheese should come from a different category. Here is a nice summary of cheese categories.
- Purchase one pound of cheese for every 5 guests if you are serving other hors d’oeuvres.
- For accompaniments and serving tips, check out this post by Real Simple.
Have fun with your next party cheese platter.
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