Cheese lovers know that there are some ways to enjoy cheese and certain things that you should never do to cheese. Here are a few important rules to remember when preparing, serving, and eating cheese.
Do not serve cheese straight out of the fridge. Cheese needs to be refrigerated but it should be allowed to stand for several minutes before serving. The cheese will approach room temperature and this allows the best flavours to come through.
Never place unwrapped or partially wrapped cheese back in the fridge. Some types of cheese need to be placed in the fridge in their original packaging to preserve freshness and flavour. One example is Camembert. As for cheeses like cheddar and gouda, keep them fresh by wrapping in wax wrap and then a plastic bag before placing in the lower drawers of your fridge for maximum freshness.
If you are serving or enjoying a cheese wedge, do yourself a favour and do not cut it out of shape. In other words, do not chop off the pointy centre. As cheese ages, the flavours change. But, the flavour in the centre is not exactly the same as that around the edge. So, for the best taste experiece, cut wedge-shaped slices.
When serving a cheese platter, you should make sure that each cheese has its own knife or cutting instrument. This prevents the contamination of flavours. So, if you slice some blue cheese, you don’t want the taste to transfer to milder cheeses.