How to Cut the Cheese
Setting out cut cheese keeps shared food more sanitary than letting guests hack away on their own. Small pieces also tend to look better than large ones, and ensure that each bite is just the right size and shape to enhance a cheese’s particular style.
On the surface, knowing how to cut cheese seems barely more complicated than the supposedly idiot-proof recipe for how to boil water. But proper knifework has come up a lot recently, says certified cheese professional, cheese podcast host, and general jill-of-all-curd-trades Janee’ Muha, aka “The Mobile Monger.” This perhaps came about alongside the popularity spike of artfully arranged charcuterie boards. Or, just because people have realized that better cheese slicing can improve not just the looks, but also the taste and texture of their selection. Whatever is behind the renewed emphasis on the art of the slice, Muha is ready to teach people the tricks of her trade, starting with the right tools for the job.
If you plan to cut multiple different types of cheese, start by putting them in the order you will cut them, Muha recommends: begin with the softest cheese and work your way to the hardest.
STEP 1: Identify the proper knife and cut the cheese into the number of slices needed.
For each of the broad categories of cheese, Muha uses a different tool and technique for cutting. The soft cheese category includes brie, camembert, Loire Valley-style goat cheeses, and the like, while the “hard” category includes firm and crumbly varieties like Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged Gouda, and older cheddars. “Medium” or “semi-firm” cheeses include Goudas and cheddars with a bit less age on them (the type you might slice thinly for a sandwich). Check the “What you need” section above to get the right tool for each cheese ready.
STEP 1A: Cut soft cheese into wedges.
Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling by Ryan McCarthy
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