Quick Answer: Most charcuterie books show a gorgeous board and leave you guessing what to buy. Each of these seven does one thing other board books don't:
- Shaped showpiece boards (Impossible Boards)
- 16 countries, one board each (Around the World)
- Boards for exactly two, with a drink to pour (Boards for Two)
- Full keto macros on every board (Keto & Low-Carb)
- No meat or dairy (15 Plant-Based Boards)
- 325 ingredients and what pairs with each (The Ingredient Guide)
- And every board comes with a shopping list with amounts. Read one board free.
What makes each one different
Built on science
50 Boards, Built by ScienceThe pairing rule behind every board, plus a swap for every item.
Walk the cookbook aisle and most charcuterie books look the same: a beautiful board on every page and almost no help building it. These are the books we wanted and couldn't find.
What makes these charcuterie books different
- A shopping list for every board: the exact items and amounts, so you buy enough and nothing goes to waste. Most board books skip this.
- The order to build it: numbered steps for where each item goes, so it looks like the picture.
- The why: the pairing rule behind each board (salt with sweet, fat with acid), so you can riff once you get it.
- Swaps: what to use when the store is out of something, or a guest can't eat it.
- One big idea per book: shapes, countries, two people, keto, vegan or ingredients. Pick the one that fits the person.
Full disclosure: we wrote all seven of these books. Every board in them uses the same pairing rules and per-person amounts you'll find free on this site. The books put them in one place, with the shopping done for you.
The 7 unique charcuterie books
Best for beginners and hosts
50 Boards, Built by Science
Fifty complete boards for every occasion, from a $25 budget board to a showstopper for a crowd. If you only get one, get this one.
What's unique: Every board is built on a pairing rule you can see, and every ingredient has a swap, so it teaches you to build boards, not just copy one.
- 50 boards
- 250+ pages
- Full color
- PDF + paperback
- Classic, budget, luxury, holiday, party, dietary and international boards
- A shopping list with amounts and estimated prices for every board
- A timed build order, plus a swap for every ingredient
Best for a showpiece
Impossible Boards
Twenty-five boards built into shapes that make guests ask "How?": a salami dragon, a giant octopus, a fondue volcano, a football field and more.
What's unique: Boards built into shapes, each powered by one simple trick that makes the shape doable at home.
- 25 boards
- 169 pages
- 12–15 guests each
- PDF + paperback
- The one simple trick that makes each shape work
- A full shopping list for 12 to 15, a prep timeline and 8 build steps
- A difficulty rating on every board, so you can start easy
Best for the adventurous eater
Around the World in 16 Boards
Sixteen international boards, each built from its own country's pantry: a Bavarian beer-hall spread, a Korean BBQ board, a Peruvian board and more.
What's unique: Each board is built only from its own country's pantry, so a Korean board tastes Korean, not like a cheese board with kimchi on it.
- 16 boards
- 88 pages
- 16 countries
- PDF + paperback
- Germany, England, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Morocco, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Jamaica
- A shopping list and a prep countdown for every board
- The pairing science behind each country's flavors
Best for date night
Boards for Two
Twenty-five boards sized for exactly two people, with no leftovers: first dates, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, movie nights and New Year's Eve.
What's unique: Sized for exactly two people, with no leftovers, and every board comes with something to pour.
- 25 boards
- 136 pages
- 2 people each
- PDF + paperback
- An exact shopping list for two, with estimated prices
- A prep countdown and 7 placement steps
- A drink to pour with every board, plus an alcohol-free option
Best for keto and low-carb
Keto & Low-Carb Boards
Twenty keto boards, from a $30 budget board to a Christmas board for 12, with low-carb dippers standing in for crackers.
What's unique: Full macros on every board, worked out from USDA data, with low-carb dippers standing in for crackers.
- 20 boards
- 112 pages
- 4–9 g net carbs
- PDF + paperback
- Calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber and net carbs per serving, from USDA data
- A shopping list that shows where the carbs are
- The carb traps on an ordinary board, and the keto swap for each
Best for vegans
15 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Boards
Fifteen vegan boards with no meat and no dairy, from a classic starter board to a holiday board, built on the same pairing science as every other book.
What's unique: No meat and no dairy at all, using the same pairing science as the other books, so nothing feels missing.
- 15 boards
- 77 pages
- 0 meat or dairy
- PDF, Kindle + paperback
- A shopping list and a step-by-step blueprint for every board
- Substitutions, upgrades and why the pairings work
- Many boards use nut cheeses, so check each list if tree nuts are a concern
Best for the cheese nerd
The Ingredient Guide
Not a board book but the reference behind them: 325 cheeses, cured meats, crackers, fruits, spreads and extras, and what each one pairs with.
What's unique: Not a board book: the reference behind the boards, with what every ingredient pairs with and why.
- 325 ingredients
- 224 pages
- 8 shopping lists
- PDF + paperback
- What each ingredient tastes like, what pairs with it and why
- How much to buy per person
- Best-partner tables and allergen lists
All 7 books at a glance
| Book | What's unique | Boards | Pages | Paperback | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Boards, Built by Science | The pairing science + a swap for everything | 50 | 250+ | $14 | $25.99 |
| Impossible Boards | Shaped showpiece boards for 12–15 | 25 | 169 | $12.99 | $24.99 |
| Around the World in 16 Boards | One board per country, from its own pantry | 16 | 88 | $9.99 | $16.99 |
| Boards for Two | Sized for exactly two, with a drink | 25 | 136 | $9.99 | $19.99 |
| Keto & Low-Carb Boards | Full macros, 4–9 g net carbs | 20 | 112 | $9.99 | $16.99 |
| 15 Plant-Based Boards | No meat, no dairy | 15 | 77 | $9.99 | $18.99 |
| The Ingredient Guide | 325 ingredients and what pairs with each | 325 entries | 224 | $12.99 | $25.99 |
Look inside
Every board plan works the same way, so once you've made one, you can make any of them. A typical board has:
- A shopping list: every item with its amount, so you buy enough and not too much.
- A timeline: what to do the day before, what to do an hour out, and when to take the cheese out of the fridge.
- Numbered build steps: where each item goes on the board, in order, and why it works there.
- Swaps: what to use when the store is out of something, or when a guest can't eat it.
PDF or paperback?
- Get the PDF if you want it tonight. It downloads straight away from Gumroad, works on a phone, tablet or laptop, and you can print just the board you're making and take the list to the store.
- Get the paperback if it's a gift, or you like a book that lies open on the counter. They're full color, 8.5 × 11 in, and printed and shipped by Amazon.
- Kindle: only the Plant-Based book is on Kindle. The board pages are built like recipe cards, so they read best as a PDF or in print.
Try a board free first
Not sure yet? Read the start of 50 Boards, Built by Science free: the intro, the contents and Board 01, the Classic American Starter Board, in full, with its shopping list and build steps. If you like how it works, the other 49 boards work the same way.
Prefer to browse first? All 151 boards in our board library are free to read on the site. The books add the shopping lists, timelines and swaps.
FAQ
What makes a charcuterie book unique?
Most charcuterie board books are photo books: they show a finished board but don't tell you what to buy or how much. A useful one gives every board a shopping list with amounts, the order to build it and swaps. Ours also each do one thing other board books don't, like shaped showpiece boards, full keto macros or boards sized for exactly two.
Is there a charcuterie book with shaped or themed boards?
Yes. Impossible Boards has 25 boards built into shapes, like a salami dragon, a giant octopus and a fondue volcano, each with the one trick that makes the shape work and a shopping list for 12 to 15 guests.
Is there a keto or vegan charcuterie book?
Yes. Keto & Low-Carb Boards has 20 boards at 4 to 9 g net carbs per serving with full macros. 15 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Boards has 15 boards with no meat and no dairy.
Which charcuterie book is best for beginners?
50 Boards, Built by Science. It starts with a classic starter board and a $25 budget board, and every board lists exactly what to buy, how much and the order to build it in. You can read Board 01 free before you buy.
Are the books available as paperbacks?
Yes, all seven are full-color paperbacks on Amazon: 50 Boards, Built by Science ($25.99), The Ingredient Guide ($25.99), Impossible Boards ($24.99), Boards for Two ($19.99), the Plant-Based book ($18.99), Around the World in 16 Boards ($16.99) and Keto & Low-Carb Boards ($16.99). Each is also a PDF ebook on Gumroad.
