The Best Cheese Board In Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich always ranks very highly on any list of the world’s best cities, which was certainly a good reason for us to look forward to visiting the city. But Zurich held an additional attraction for us, for our niece Avni and her husband Etienne live there, working as professors at the university. This was not just a sightseeing trip for us, but a cherished family reunion too!

It is easy to see why Zurich has charmed visitors for centuries. Spread out over the hills overlooking Lake Zurich, the town is bifurcated by the Limmat River that flows into the lake. The combination of green hills and blue water form a stunning urban setting and the immaculately maintained streets and houses invite you to go strolling.

The best area to go wandering is through the medieval Old Town. Starting at the Rechberg, a lovely garden surrounded by the university campus, cobbled streets lead you past ancient churches, quaint shops and old taverns. The Bahnhoffstrasse, one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world, is lined with stores selling Swiss watches with eye popping prices. Here you can buy designer clothes, jewellery, and every other luxury item that you can think of. The street leads you to the shores of the lake, which is a lively location filled with people walking, biking, skating, or just sprawled out on the grass of one of the many waterfront parks.

The biggest landmarks in Zurich are the great churches: the Grossmünster, the Fraumünster, and St Peter’s Church, whose spires are visible wherever you are in the city. These are some of the oldest churches in Europe; The Grossmünster is reputed to have been commissioned by the Emperor Charlemagne around 810 CE, and it has played an important role in the history of Switzerland. Surrounding the church are ancient guild houses where medieval merchants would meet, reminding us that Zurich has been a thriving centre of trade and commerce for millennia.

Winding our way back home after a hectic day of sightseeing, none of us had the energy to cook dinner. Luckily, Avni and Etienne had all the fixings for a delicious cheese board and they threw together this magnificent creation that had all of us wiping our plates clean!

Here are Avni and Etienne’s top tips for creating your own masterpiece!

Start with a generous sized wooden board to accommodate everything and give you room to grow!
Choose cheeses in a variety of flavours and textures, ranging from creamy and soft to hard and crumbly; from mild tasting to strong and assertive! Cheeses can also be studded with berries, mushrooms, black pepper or truffles as some options.
Leave your cheeses out on the counter for at least an hour to soften to room temperature.
Have some good crusty baguette slices and interesting crackers to go with the cheese.
Scatter your favourite nuts on the board, nuts can be toasted, candied or raw.
Place bowls of fresh seasonal fruit such as sliced strawberries or apples or bunches of grapes. A pile of candied fruit is also an option, and dried fruit such as prunes, apricots, dates, cranberries or raisins can also be scattered across the board. Fruit preserves and jams make interesting additions too.
Olives are a must! Try Kalamata, stuffed green or any olive of your choice.
Spears of lightly steamed asparagus, crunchy celery or carrot sticks, cucumber or bell pepper slices and cherry tomatoes can also be placed on the board. If you have any pickled vegetables like feta stuffed hot red peppers, pickled eggplant or pickled baby onions and cucumbers, add them too.
You can add hot pepper paste, hot sauce or any spicy spread to your board for perking up the flavours.
If you want to be really decadent, add different kinds of butters to your creation!
Garnish your board with sprigs of fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or mint. Serve and enjoy!

If you wish to expand your cheese board into a charcuterie board, simply add a variety of thinly sliced cured meats, salami and sausages to create something truly unforgettable for your guests!