Charcuterie boards a top 2023 trend (2024)

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Charcuterie boards a top 2023 trend? ›

Charcuterie boards are among top food trends to watch this year, according to the National Restaurant Association's What's Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast. Listed as the top-ranked appetizer of the year, charcuterie has a long history, having been invented in 15th century France.

Charcuterie boards became popular in 2020 with popularity increasing in 2021 and continuing into 2022 and 2023. The popular charcuterie board commonly contains an appealing spread of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, and dips.

The latest charcuterie trends are the perfect way to upgrade your happy hour specials and attract more customers to your business. Whether you choose to create a brunch or butter board, these trendy charcuterie ideas will help your business stand out on social media.

If Generation X was known for having cereal for every meal, then the millennial generation's equivalent is turning charcuterie into a meal. Millennials have taken the concept of charcuterie to a new level by getting extremely creative with the selections they choose to put on charcuterie boards.

However, it wasn't until the 1990s that charcuterie boards had a resurgence in popularity as American grocery stores diversified their offerings and specialty food stores became more common.

In place of the cheese and meats on a charcuterie board, a butter board is softened butter spread out on a wooden board and then covered in herbs to serve over bread.

More than a few charcuterie business owners have no problem generating over $100,000 per year from demand in their local area, with some some earning $1 million and up. You can read more success stories in our Charcuterie Success Spotlight.

Round is the most popular shape for medium sized parties, and handle boards is the most popular for smaller parties of 2 or 4. Round contrasts nicely with the shapes of a lot of cheeses and crackers. It is also easy for your guests to enjoy without feeling like they're on the "back side" of the board.

What foods are trending 2024? 2024 is a year of alternatives, including almond milk, vegetarian fried chicken, potato milk, fusion flavors and plant-based meat to name a few. There's also a focus on global dishes, even more bold flavors, and urban produce.

Are charcuterie boards a fad? ›

While the menu incidence of charcuterie boards is up 84% over the last 10 years, only 4.9% of menus in the U.S. currently offer them, suggesting there's plenty of room for this trend to grow. Today charcuterie has evolved far beyond meat and cheese boards.

The most popular charcuterie meat is capocollo, a thin Italian pork cold cut, which is most popular in 15 states, including Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Following closely behind in 14 states is pâté, a variety of different meats ground together to create a meat paste.

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

There are a few that I would stay away from eggplants, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, zucchini and mushrooms. Many of these vegetables taste best when cooked, and Charcuterie boards generally don't include steamed or cooked veggies.

Charcuterie boards are among top food trends to watch this year, according to the National Restaurant Association's What's Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast. Listed as the top-ranked appetizer of the year, charcuterie has a long history, having been invented in 15th century France.

While traditional charcuterie boards were served before the meal, as an elegant appetizer, they also stand as casual meals and small bites with drinks like wine or co*cktails.

Charcuterie meats and cheeses have the most flavor when served at room temperature. Remember these should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours total. Consider using a designated cutting board for charcuterie use, and not one you use to cut up raw protein foods.

You can assemble a charcuterie board up to 24 hours ahead of time, minus the fresh fruit. Just be sure to wrap the charcuterie board with plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge up to 30 minutes prior to serving.