Different cheese platter ideas are typically designed around a particular theme or by pairing various types of cheeses with other foods. One of the most common and simple ideas is a cheese platter that features an assortment of cheeses from different regions, providing an edible tour of various locales through cheese selection. Rather than using geography as a guide, however, some cheese platters can be assembled based purely around the cheeses selected, providing a range of hard and soft as well as pungent and mild options. There are also cheese platter ideas that can be built around pairing cheeses with other foods or drinks such as fruit, meats, and wine.
The central focus of cheese platter ideas is cheese, and usually several different varieties are featured. One of the simplest ways in which this type of platter can be assembled is through the use of geography as a guide to cheese choice. Someone can consider cheese platter ideas guided by a particular country, especially for a large country like the US or a country that produces a number of different cheeses. Different regions of the world, however, can also provide cheese ideas and so a single platter might feature one cheese from France, another from England, and a third from Italy.
Foregoing the use of geographic regions as a guide, other cheese platter ideas can instead focus on the different types of cheeses and how they compliment or contrast to each other. This type of platter might feature several soft cheeses, including some spreadable cheeses and semi-soft cheese, as well as firmer selections and even a hard cheese. The wide range of textures found in different cheeses can lead to a variety of cheese platter ideas in which the cheeses are the sole focus. Different flavors and aromas should also be considered, so that the process of eating the cheeses on the platter becomes a unique and varied dining experience.
Cheese platter ideas can also focus on the cheeses as a compliment to other foods or beverages. Many types of fruit, for example, can serve as wonderful accompaniment to different cheeses, including grapes, apple slices, and fresh berries. Selections of meat slices can also provide contrast and enhance the flavors of different cheeses, such as smoked salmon, prosciutto, and salami. Cheese platter ideas that are meant to appeal to adults, rather than all ages, can include the use of alcoholic beverages to compliment the selection of cheeses provided, including different types of wine and even certain beers.