Quick Answer: S tier: aged cheddar, brie, prosciutto, Genoa salami, fig jam and Marcona almonds. A tier: Manchego, soppressata, honeycomb, grapes, cornichons and dark chocolate. B tier sits in the middle, C tier needs the right partner, D tier is situational, and F tier is pre-cut cheese cubes, unlemoned apple slices and wet fruit on crackers.
Tier lists start arguments, and that is the point. Every ingredient here was ranked on three things: how much it pairs with, how many guests will eat it, and whether it still looks good after two hours on the board. Read it, disagree in the comments, then make your own.
The full tier list
| Tier | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| S | Aged cheddar, brie, prosciutto, Genoa salami, fig jam, Marcona almonds |
| A | Manchego, soppressata, honeycomb, grapes, cornichons, dark chocolate |
| B | Gouda, goat cheese, castelvetrano olives, dried apricots, water crackers, baguette |
| C | Blue cheese, mortadella, pepper jelly, pistachios, pickled onions, mustard |
| D | Pepperoni, strawberries, carrot sticks, flavored crackers, candied nuts |
| F | Pre-cut cheese cubes, sliced apples without lemon, wet fruit on crackers |
S tier: the board is not a board without them
Aged cheddar. Sharp, crumbly, with those crunchy crystals. It pairs with fruit, jam, beer, wine and nearly every meat. Read the aged cheddar guide.
Brie. The cheese people walk to first. Soft, mild and buttery, and it turns anything sweet into a dessert.
Prosciutto. Salty, silky and it drapes. It makes a plain board look expensive.
Genoa salami. Mild, garlicky, loved by kids and adults. The easiest meat to fold into a river.
Fig jam. One spoonful connects the salty side of the board to the creamy side.
Marcona almonds. Softer and richer than regular almonds, and the crunch every board needs.
A tier: almost perfect
Manchego, nutty and firm. Soppressata, a bit more bite than Genoa. Honeycomb, which looks stunning and tastes even better on blue cheese. Grapes, the classic palate cleanser. Cornichons, the acid that resets your mouth. Dark chocolate, which pairs with aged cheese better than most people expect.
B tier: reliable, not exciting
Gouda, goat cheese, castelvetrano olives, dried apricots, water crackers and baguette. They all do their job. None of them are why people crowd the board.
C tier: great with the right partner
Blue cheese splits a room, but put it next to honey or pear and the skeptics come around. Mortadella is soft and mild and gets overlooked. Pepper jelly, pistachios, pickled onions and mustard are fantastic in small amounts and easy to overdo.
D tier: situational
Pepperoni belongs on a game-day board, not a wine night. (Yes, it is a kind of salami; see salami vs pepperoni.) Strawberries are beautiful but wet and short-lived. Carrot sticks feel like a lunchbox. Flavored crackers fight with the cheese. Candied nuts are good but can turn a board into dessert.
F tier: we need to talk
Pre-cut cheese cubes dry out and all taste the same. Cut your own from a block. Sliced apples without lemon turn brown in minutes; toss them in lemon juice first. Wet fruit placed on crackers makes everything soggy. Put it in a bowl.
Every F tier item has a fix, which is why it is F tier and not banned. See the 10 board mistakes for more.
Now it is your turn
Where would you move something? Comment with the one ingredient you think we ranked wrong, and save the tier list graphic to make your own. When you are ready to build, the Pairings Hub shows why each combination works, and the Party Planner tells you how much to buy.
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