{"id":5973,"date":"2026-03-19T03:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/7-top-charcuterie-and-cheese-pairing-examples-from-experts\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T03:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:06:08","slug":"7-top-charcuterie-and-cheese-pairing-examples-from-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/7-top-charcuterie-and-cheese-pairing-examples-from-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Top Charcuterie and Cheese Pairing Examples From Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Olympic Provisions charcuterie with cheese<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cCharcuterie\u201d is often the headline that is used to describe an artfully displayed board full of a variety of edible goods, but the word itself is rooted in a particular kind of edible good: In French, char cuit<\/em> refers to \u201ccooked flesh.\u201d In short, if it isn\u2019t meat, it isn\u2019t charcuterie. In modern vernacular, the cooking method used for most of which we\u2019d call charcuterie is curing: preserving meats through various means including salt, sugar, smoking, or drying, to give the meat a longer shelf life. While a platter full of cooked hamburger patties technically qualifies as charcuterie semantically, it doesn\u2019t quite have the same effect.<\/p>\n

Since cheese also represents the careful preservation of otherwise ephemeral material, it obviously goes hand in hand with its meaty brethren, frequently enjoying a co-starring role on a charcuterie board. So long as there\u2019s also meat involved in anything labeled charcuterie, that\u2019s fair play to us. Here, however, we celebrate the actual charcuterie for a change. From classic European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) selections to exceptional American producers reinvigorating the category domestically, here are nominations for top charcuterie, with specific cheeses for some exceptional pairings, according to experts.<\/p>\n

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Butter Hill Heritage Pork Uncured Pepperoni <\/a>with Quicke\u2019s Oak Smoked Cheddar<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Butter Hill Pepperoni and Quicke\u2019s Oak Smoked Cheddar<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pepperoni is America\u2019s favorite pizza topping, but its ubiquity doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t deserve a place on the list of top charcuterie, especially when made with exceptional care.<\/p>\n

\u201cButter Hill is a family farm in Ohio that is all about regenerative and ethical practices,\u201d says Aubrey Gallegos, Program Manager for Good Meat Project<\/a>, which aims to educate consumers about better choices when it comes to the meat they buy. \u201cThey raise a heritage breed of pigs called KuneKunes, specifically selected for their gentle impact on the land and their ability to convert grass and weeds into richly marbled, flavorful pork not found in conventional markets,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The range of products at Butter Hill includes a wide variety of European-inspired salami and ham, but the farm\u2019s Heritage Pork Uncured Pepperoni (available in a spicy version<\/a> as well) is a standout, especially compared to conventional pepperoni. \u201cTheir salami is unlike any I\u2019ve ever eaten,\u201d says Gallegos, \u201cbuttery and rich, but not at all greasy. The Uncured Pepperoni pops with paprika, cayenne, and allspice, while maintaining the classic flavor everyone loves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: Given its place of honor atop pizza, mozzarella is never the wrong answer for pepperoni. On a charcuterie board, however, Barbara Marriner, owner of Rochester, Michigan\u2019s <\/a>The Cheese Lady<\/a>, suggests something different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would lean into the smoky aspect,\u201d Marriner says. \u201cSomething with a touch of sweetness as well to balance pepperoni\u2019s salt. So for me it has to be Quicke\u2019s Oak Smoked Cheddar<\/a>.\u201d This smoked clothbound cheddar is a classic English selection whose buttery sweetness comes from grass-fed cows and extended aging.<\/p>\n

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Olympia Provisions Loukanika<\/a> and Feta<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Olympia Provisions Loukanika and Feta<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m always dubious of claims of expert consensus when it comes to recommendations for a particular product, but Oregon\u2019s Olympia Provisions nearly made me a believer, so consistent was the praise from experts I spoke to.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlympia Provisions isn\u2019t your average charcuterie, or retailer,\u201d says Gallegos. \u201cThey\u2019re working to upend a system where 98 percent of pork comes from factory farms by building a model rooted in transparency, nose-to-tail utilization, and sourcing from small, independently owned, GAP-certified<\/a>, regenerative farms across the Pacific Northwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olympia\u2019s charcuterie canon includes selections modeled after European salamis and hams from across the continent, including French saucissons aux noisettes<\/a> and Greek loukanika<\/a>. \u201cI love their Salami Bouquet,<\/a>\u201d says Gallegos, describing it as \u201ca festive assortment of European-inspired salamis, each chewy in all the right ways, with that satisfying bite we crave in a salami and rich, deep flavors that aren\u2019t overpowering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: Loukanika isn\u2019t everywhere in the way that many other salami styles are, so it\u2019s worth seeking out, especially from the highly regarded Olympia Provisions. A lesser-known rustic Greek sausage that\u2019s seasoned with garlic, oregano, and orange zest, loukanika can go up against any aged cheese that loves a full-flavored sausage, but its natural partner is a full-flavored fresh cheese, none other than classic feta. The hit of orange zest echoes feta\u2019s natural tang, and the sturdy, salty richness of feta amplifies the garlic in the cheese, just as it would the garlic in any Greek dish.<\/p>\n

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La Quercia Berkshire Coppa Americano <\/a>with <\/span><\/a>Uplands Rush Creek Reserve<\/a><\/h2>\n
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La Quercia Coppa and Uplands Rush Creek Reserve<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coppa, or capicolla, is a type of ham made from the neck and shoulder of pork, with origins in both France and Italy, though exceptional coppa may also be found in the U.S. \u201cWhen I\u2019m reaching for cured meat, this is the one,\u201d says Michael Scott, ACS CCP and cheesemonger at Whole Foods Market in Wellesley, MA. \u201cLa Quercia\u2019s Berkshire Coppa Americano<\/a> is made from heritage Berkshire pork \u2014 beautifully marbled, full of flavor, and raised humanely in the Midwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many of the selections on this list, provenance played as much of a role as flavor in the cured meats that experts favored. \u201cI always tell people: this is American charcuterie at its best. It\u2019s proof that you don\u2019t have to go to Europe to find something truly special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naturally, flavor is also a driving factor. \u201cLa Quercia dry cures it with sea salt and spices,\u201d says Scott, adding that the producer \u201cthen ages it in Iowa until it\u2019s silky, savory, and just melts in your mouth. It\u2019s got that bold, rich flavor I love, but it\u2019s not overpowering \u2014 perfect with cheese, fruit, or honestly just on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: \u201cAs the Coppa is from the Midwest, it cries out for a neighbor as a\u00a0partner-en-cheeseboard,\u201d says Scott.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He recommends something equally bold for the boldness of La Quercia\u2019s Coppa: Rush Creek Reserve from Wisconsin\u2019s Uplands Cheese.\u00a0
\u201cIt\u2019s a bark-wrapped, spoonable, raw milk beauty inspired by Vacherin Mont d\u2019Or<\/a> with notes of toasted hazelnuts, smoked bacon, yellow mustard, and a hint of alpine pasture,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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Finocchiona<\/a> with Weinkase Lagrein<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Finocchiona and Weinkase Lagrein<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere are so many other charcuterie board contenders out there,\u201d says Jenn Rice, food writer and arguably one of the foremost American experts in Italian sausage. Tuscany\u2019s distinctive <\/a>Finocchiona PGI<\/a>, however, is her current nomination for top salami.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love fennel, so I’ve been on a Finocchiona salami kick for the last couple years given that I spend a lot of time in the region,\u201d Rice says. \u201cIt’s a delicious pork salami that made its debut in the Renaissance era, when fennel was a lot cheaper than pepper,\u201d she says, also pointing out that it has a PGI designation that ensures its quality and authenticity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt allegedly charmed Machiavelli and the Medici,\u201d she adds, \u201cand I definitely understand why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: An under-the-radar Italian cheese from Alto Adige is a no-brainer cheese plate matchup for Finocchiona. Weinkase Lagrein<\/a> is a cow\u2019s-milk cheese whose German-sounding name trumpets its Tyrolean geography and influence. The cheese is soaked in the local wine, Lagrein, and steeped with spices that render it salami-esque in and of itself.<\/p>\n

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La Salumina <\/a>Coppa di Testa and Three-Year-Old Comt\u00e9<\/a><\/h2>\n
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La Salumina Coppa di Testa and Aged Comt\u00e9<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

New York state-based La Salumina is another American take on the form whose artisanal products wow those in the know, helmed by American and Italian spouses Eleanor Friedman and Gianpiero Pepe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the authentic Italian influence that goes into all their products and how each piece is a labor of love, cut and seasoned by hand and aged gently under their watchful eyes,\u201d says Emilia D\u2019Albero, the recent World\u2019s Best Cheesemonger champion of the 2025 Mondial du Fromage.<\/p>\n

In addition to their on-premise store in Hurleyville, N.Y., Friedman and Pepe partner with small retail operators<\/a> in several states across the U.S., and also maintain a list of restaurant partners<\/a> where La Salumina\u2019s products may be found.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a nose-to-tail approach to salumi and are committed to responsible sourcing, which is obvious in every bite,\u201d D\u2019Albero says, adding that they also make some classic Italian products that can be hard to find, including spalla cotta, a traditional style of cured pork shoulder, as well as the coppa di testa, a form of Italian head cheese.<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: La Salumina Coppa di Testa with an older Comt\u00e9 is an ideal combination, according to Jennifer Greco, Academy of Cheese<\/a> Level One Associate and owner of <\/a>Chez Loulou<\/a> French wine and cheese tastings in Paris. \u201cHead cheese is hearty, soft, and chunky, so it needs a cheese to stand up to its flavors and textures,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Greco adds that she believes a three-year-old Comt\u00e9 AOP would play up the savory notes in the charcuterie with its undercurrent of earth and allium tang: \u201cI\u2019d choose an aged Comt\u00e9 that has deep flavors of warmed butter, roasted nuts, and toasted brioche.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Mortadella and Young Goat\u2019s-Milk Gouda<\/h2>\n
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Mortadella and Young Goat\u2019s-Milk Gouda<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019ve ever been driving through Italy, and somehow encountered a magical sandwich at the likes of a gas station or rest stop \u2014 known as an \u201cautogrill\u201d \u2014 chances are good that mortadella was the reason that the sandwich made you question why other sandwiches even bother to exist. The precursor to the imposter \u201cbologna\u201d that many Americans have grown up with is a gently-spiced, emulsified pork sausage, with almost creamy pockets of lard and sometimes studded with pistachios. Its origins \u2014 and its impostor\u2019s namesake \u2014 are in Bologna, a culinary destination within a country where most cities are culinary destinations. So it\u2019s no wonder why mortadella, especially Mortadella Bologna PGI<\/a>, is a favorite among charcuterie aficionados, either for a sandwich or just by itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a soft spot for a truly good mortadella,\u201d says food writer Emily Cappiello. \u201cThere\u2019s something irresistible about its silky texture and the way it mingles with so many cheeses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She suggests draping mortadella in sexy folds on your next charcuterie board along the other languid hams and sturdy sausages, or considering another useful application: atop a pizza.<\/p>\n

\u201cMortadella also belongs on pizza,\u201d Cappiello maintains. \u201cI\u2019ll die on this hill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: \u201cFor classic purposes you can\u2019t go wrong with mozz\u201d as a complement to mortadella, says Isabelle Brosen, Assistant Manager of Events and Education at Murray\u2019s Cheese<\/a>. (This also includes mozzarella\u2019s sexy cousin burrata, the other likely culprit on the life-altering sandwich as described above.)<\/p>\n

Another inspired alternative? \u201cI\u2019d try a young Gouda,\u201d Brosen suggests. \u201cCreamy, mild, and lightly sweet, it will balance the pistachio flavor in the meat. [It\u2019s] even better to go for a young goat\u2019s-milk Gouda, and get a little tang going.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jambon de Bayonne (Bayonne Ham)<\/a> with Ossau-Iraty<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Jambon de Bayonne and Ossau-Iraty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Spain\u2019s legendary jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico and Italy\u2019s prosciutto di Parma hardly need an introduction, for my own personal taste, France\u2019s Jambon de Bayonne PGI deserves a little recognition in the category, too. Along with its exceptional flavor, the ham is also surrounded by exceptional lore: Legend has it that a hog accidentally fell into the salty waters around Salies-de-B\u00e9arn and cured itself.<\/p>\n

Hailing from the Adour Basin in France\u2019s southwestern lobe, Jambon de Bayonne is named for the port city where the ham was shipped, rather than where it is necessarily processed, utilizing a specific breed of hogs. With a rich flavor and pronounced salinity, it is one of the only hams worldwide that stipulates the source of the salt used to cure the hams: ancient sea salts from Salies-de-B\u00e9arn, from a geologic era when the landmass would have still been under water. Of note, Jambon de Bayonne also boasts one of the world\u2019s oldest food festivals \u2014 the annual Foire au Jambon de Bayonne<\/a>, which dates back to 1462 \u2014 a necessary pilgrimage for lovers of charcuterie.<\/p>\n

Pairing perfection<\/strong>: Jambon de Bayonne also has a built-in marriage with a cheese from the same region. Ossau-Iraty PDO<\/a>\u2019s gently earthy, sweet, and nutty notes are the perfect counterpoint for Jambon de Bayonne\u2019s salty and mildly gamy notes.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Olympic Provisions charcuterie with cheese \u201cCharcuterie\u201d is often the headline that is used to describe an artfully displayed board full of a variety of edible goods, but the word itself is rooted in a particular kind of edible good: In French, char cuit refers to \u201ccooked flesh.\u201d In short, if it isn\u2019t meat, it isn\u2019t … Okumaya devam et “7 Top Charcuterie and Cheese Pairing Examples From Experts”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5973\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}