Gift guide The best charcuterie books to give
Gift guide · Books
Quick answer: For most people, give 50 Boards, Built by Science (paperback $25.99): 50 complete boards, each with a shopping list, amounts and a build order. For an adventurous eater, Around the World in 16 Boards ($16.99). For someone who wants to cure their own meat, Ruhlman and Polcyn's Charcuterie.
Giving a paperback? Amazon shows the delivery date at checkout. For Christmas, aim to order by mid-December.
A board book is a gift that keeps paying off: the person gets the book, and you get invited to the boards. The best ones tell the reader exactly what to buy and how much, not just what a board looks like in a photo. We wrote six of the books below, and we've put them where they genuinely fit. The other three are the outside books we'd point a friend to.
We wrote the Charcuterie Lab books, so take our ranking of them with that in mind. The other books are researched picks; we have no connection to their authors or publishers.
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Boards, Built by Science | Best overall · the host or the beginner | $25.99 |
| Around the World in 16 Boards | Best for the adventurous eater | $16.99 |
| The Ingredient Guide | Best for the cheese nerd | $12.99 ebook |
| 15 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Boards | Best for the vegan or vegetarian | $18.99 |
| Keto & Low-Carb Boards | Best for the keto friend | $9.99 ebook |
| Boards for Two | Best for a couple | $9.99 ebook |
| That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life | Best for styling | $20–28 |
| Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing | Best for curing your own meat | $22–35 |
| Little Book of Charcuterie and Cheese | Best stocking stuffer | $10–16 |
Best overall · the host or the beginner
Paperback $25.99 · ebook $14
Fifty complete boards for every occasion, from a $25 budget board to a 30-person showstopper. Every board has the shopping list with amounts, the order to build it and a swap for every ingredient, so the person can make a board the night they open it. More about the book
Best for the adventurous eater
Paperback $16.99 · ebook $9.99
Sixteen international boards, from a Bavarian beer-hall spread to a Korean BBQ board, each with a shopping list and a prep countdown. Under $17, which makes it the easiest add-on to a bottle of wine. More about the book
Best for the cheese nerd
Ebook $12.99 · paperback coming soon
325 ingredients in one book: what each tastes like, what it pairs with and why, and how much to buy. The reference a serious board builder reaches for before a party. More about the book
Best for the vegan or vegetarian
Paperback $18.99 · ebook $9.99
Fifteen boards with no meat and no dairy that still look like a full charcuterie spread, with the pairing science behind each one. More about the book
Best for the keto friend
Ebook $9.99 · paperback coming soon
Twenty boards at 4 to 9 g net carbs per serving, with full macros from USDA data. Good timing for someone starting a January diet. More about the book
Best for a couple
Ebook $9.99 · paperback coming soon
Twenty-five boards sized for two, from a first date to New Year's Eve, each with a drink to pour. Lands well as a Valentine's gift too. More about the book
Best for styling
Typically $20–28
A colourful, step-by-step styling book built on Mullen's "Cheese by Numbers" method. Great for someone who loves how boards look.
See it on AmazonBest for curing your own meat
Typically $22–35
The classic on making your own bacon, sausage and cured meats. For the person who wants to cure, not just serve.
See it on AmazonBest stocking stuffer
Typically $10–16
A small hardback with pairing basics and simple board ideas. Fits in a stocking.
See it on AmazonAbout $35–46
A first set of tools, a jar for the first board and sixteen boards to make with them.
Pick a book that gives exact shopping lists and amounts, not just photos. 50 Boards, Built by Science gives every board a shopping list with quantities, a build order and swaps, which is what a beginner needs to make a first board without guessing.
Yes, for anyone who hosts, loves cheese or keeps saving board photos. Pair it with one small item, like a cheese knife set or a jar of fig spread, so they can start the first board right away.
The paperback, if it can arrive in time: it wraps, it lies open on the counter, and it feels like a present. The ebook is the instant option when you're out of time, since the download link arrives by email in minutes.
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. It covers curing, smoking and sausage-making at home. Board books like ours are about buying and serving, not curing.
Yes: 15 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Boards has fifteen boards with no meat and no dairy, each with a shopping list and a step-by-step build.
Free printable
Tuck it inside the book. There's a space to write which board you'll make together, so the gift comes with a date on the calendar. Two cards per page, prints on plain paper or card stock.
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