Picture a miniature, edible winter wonderland.
Most likely, the image that comes to mind is one full of bright candy and fluffy cream. Sugary gingerbread and glistening licorice. Delicious, right? Well, a new trend is turning that gumdrop-festooned cliché on its head. Meet “Charcuterie Chalets,” the salty, cheesy, spot-on symbols of 2020’s topsy-turvy holiday season.
These savory santalands swap out the boring old whipped cream and lollipops found in gingerbread houses of yore for more sophisticated, exciting, cocktail-party-ready meat and cheese offerings. Say goodbye to 123 Candyland Lane and hello 666 Salami Avenue! That’s right, put on some 3-D glasses because these charcuterie boards just added an extra dimension.
We know what you’re thinking: “But Gingerbread Houses are a Christmas tradition!” You’re right, they are. But if there was ever a year to change up your holiday-themed culinary leisure time, this would be the one. With so many iconic seasonal activities on pause—and so many of us not making our annual pilgrimages home—this is the time to try out new traditions and new activities. The time to branch out and be a bit more experimental. The time to try making little snow angels out of room-temperature gouda.
Also, could there be a better embodiment of this year’s stay-at-home-for-the-holidays vibe than these North Pole ‘Nduja Lodges? In the past, it made sense for us to create whimsical confections highlighting the charmingly sweet nature of our holiday homes. But this year, our homes have to be everything. They’re sites of both work and relaxation. They’re required to be both sweet and savory. They need—rather, they deserve—to be decorated with cabin-shaped meat and cheese plates!
Check out some of our favorite examples of this new holiday tradition below and be sure to send us pics of your own at-home chalets de charcuterie.
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