A charcuterie board of smoked pepper cheese, balsamic-onion relish, Dutch Gouda, Sicilian black olives, truffle oil-infused cream cheese, cranberry jalapeño pistachio cream cheese, chicken pepper salami, spicy chorizo, sharp cheddar and multigrain crackers by ttttapas

With its Instagrammable aesthetic appeal, the charcuterie board became one of the most-Googled terms in 2021. A French term for cookery devoted to prepared meat products, originally pork, charcuterie today also includes poultry, buff, beef and seafood, explains Jaydeep Mukherjee, brand head, Smoke House Deli, which is popular for its curation of house-cured meats and sausages. “Initially intended to preserve meat prior to refrigeration, these days, it is celebrated for the amazing flavours that emanate due to the preservation techniques and processes,” he informs us. While locked-in netizens may have just started crushing over charcuterie boards, Mukherjee notes that the platters have been popular for a long time now, with breads, cheese, fruits and nuts being added to the mix to complement the meats.