The holiday season is almost here, and cheese lovers everywhere are planning their cheese and charcuterie party platters to usher in another year of food, fun, and friendship. Here are some cheesemonger-approved tips for creating an impressive and unique platter that will wow your guests. 

When creating your platter, it's important to choose a variety of cheese styles, textures, and milk types to accommodate all palates and preferences. Triple cream cheeses like Delice de Bourgogne or Brillat-Savarin are a classic festive pairing with bubbles like Champagne and Prosecco, because the effervescence of the wine cuts through the high butterfat content of the cheese and lifts the flavor on the palate. Alpine cheeses like Gruyere and Beaufort are iconic seasonal cheeses with complex onion and floral flavors that will transport you to the Swiss mountaintops where the cows graze on lush alpine pastures to create the rich, flavorful milk for these cheeses. Aged chèvre is always a hit, and don't forget the farmhouse Manchego or crystalline goat Gouda!

Use Formaticum Mini Cheese Knives to cut each cheese into bite-sized pieces to make it easy for guests to enjoy, using our Cut Guide video below as a reference. Don't forget to use all edible elements, including garnish, and include things like candied nuts, dried fruits, sliced charcuterie, and local honey. 

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It's also important to follow cheese platter etiquette to make sure everyone can enjoy the spread! If you don't like the Brie rind, we recommend cut a complete piece of Brie off the platter and separate the rind on your own plate, instead of scooping the paste out of the rind on the platter.  

Left with extra cheese after the party? Store your leftovers in Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags or Paper until you're ready to use them as a snack or in a hearty recipe - leftover cheese is a perfect excuse to make mac & cheese, grilled cheese, quiche, omelettes, and even mashed potatoes. 

Most importantly, have fun and get creative. 

Cheese lovers, rejoice! If you've got gift-wrapping burnout and the thought of wrapping cheese is exhausting, we have great news for you. You can now have all the storage benefits of professional cheese paper at home without having to learn the complex wrapping techniques that cheesemongers have mastered.

Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are made of the same material as our professional cheese paper, and provide the same benefits with none of the stress. Simply put your cheese in the bag, fold the top under the cheese to keep it closed, place in the fridge, and enjoy fresh cheese flavor for weeks after purchase. Cheese Storage Bags allow your cheese to breathe while maintaining optimal humidity, so your cheese stays fresh and flavorful. These bags are a great gift idea for cheese lovers who want to enjoy their favorite cheeses without having to worry about wasting leftovers.

Whether you’re a cheese connoisseur or just a casual cheese lover, Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are a must-have in your kitchen. Available in Classic, compostable Zero, and Reusable versions, there's a bag out there for everyone! 

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It's the most wonderful time of the year - holiday party season! With holiday parties comes cheese and charcuterie platters and gift swaps, so make sure you're prepared for both with Formaticum cheese storage products. Our products are made in Europe and specially designed to help preserve the freshness and flavor of your cheese so that you can experience the cheese in peak condition. We offer classic cheese storage paper, as well as easy-to-use bags made of the same material, with none of the stress of wrapping cheese like a monger. Formaticum cheese storage products are available in a variety of materials to suit every lifestyle - alongside our Classic Sheets & Bags, our compostable Zero products offer the same performance without any plastic, and our new Reusable line can be washed and air-dried many times over. 

Unlike plastic wrap, which suffocates your cheese by trapping moisture and allowing excess mold growth, Formaticum cheese paper allows your cheese to breathe while maintaining the right humidity levels to prevent your cheese from drying out. The biggest advantage of using Formaticum cheese paper is that it can significantly extend the shelf life of your cheese, ensuring that you consume the highest quality product possible. Cheese is a living product, and plastic wrap can leach harmful chemicals into the cheese over time, as well as affect the flavor. Formaticum cheese paper does not contain any harmful chemicals and will not affect the flavor of your cheese.

If you are looking for another way to honor the work of farmers, cheesemakers, affineurs, and everyone in between, consider making the switch to Formaticum cheese storage products. Your cheese will thank you!