Snack Boards: The New Instagram Trend

Snack boards or ‘charcuterie’ boards have deep roots in history of food, especially from Ancient Rome times. Such platters or boards consist of assorted means and a variety of cheese paired with citrus fruits as well and presented in a fancy way. It can also be served with bread, crackers, assorted nuts, and sometimes, even pickles and olives!

Charcuterie is a French word which basically means cooked flesh i.e., can refer to cooked meats which are served on the same. Such boards in the earlier centuries were used in a way to not ‘waste’ meat which is why a typical, vintage board consists of a variety of meats and exotic cheese. The west has used this concept for centuries to serve it as something to eat with alcohol, and the typical preference has been wine. This can not only be observed in high-end restaurants and breweries but also in the world of cinema. It is believed that wine and cheese/meat can serve as a good combination, which is why a lot of wine tasting gatherings often have cheese boards to tag along!

Image 1: a classic Charcuterie board with a variety of cooked meat and cheese. (Reference: @dasknusperstuebchen on Instagram.)

With the evolution of time and food trends, especially trending hashtags on platforms like Instagram and Facebook amongst others, such charcuterie boards have extended their branches and given birth to ‘snack boards and even decorative lunch boxes. Apart from the basic servings of such boards to be of meats and cheese, the boards are also used to serve and decorate candies, sweets, sushi and a number of other food items.

Through the worldwide lockdown of the initial waves of the COVID-19 virus, such boards earned a spot in the trends of social media and the expression of innovation through the art of decoration of food can be evidently witnessed under hashtags such as #SnackBoards and #CharcuterieBoards. Such boards are not only exciting to look at due to the visual elements of the colors of various food items, but also, let’s be honest here, they look absolutely DELICIOUS! Such boards have moved beyond the use of classic cheese and meats and use snacks and food items which may be popular for different holidays and occasions and eventually, arranged in artistic and enticing ways.

Image 2 and 3: trending hashtags for snack boards.

Snack boards and lunch boxes have become a favorite of the toddlers and a go-to for parents since due to the colorful presentation of foods on them are something which entice the young ones to try foods which, on any normal day, they would refuse to. The lockdowns throughout and since 2020 have not only provided confidence to many magnificent chefs who, perhaps, were not aware of how good they are at the art of cooking, but also gave them the space to innovate with decorating food in whimsical ways. Boards like these can be used as an ultimate appetizer for any party or gathering to serve snacks or desserts with ease and will make your guests gasp in awe!

Snack boards are an upcoming idea for parties and gatherings since a board is like nothing less than an empty canvas; you can decorate food on it for any occasion or holiday, using whatever food items you deem fit. You can unleash your inner artist with it!

Here is a Do It Yourself Charcuterie board idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PNDmXXbWWQ

References:

“the history of charcuterie boards and why you should drink wine with them”, July 26, 2019 https://corkdining.com/fine-dining/the-history-of-charcuterie-boards-and-why-you-should-drink-wine-them/