A ham-and-cheese board can begin with few ingredients and one question: what do you enjoy together? Prepare the same ham with two cheeses to compare. Keeping them separate first lets you decide without an overfilled platter dictating the combination.
Taste products alone, then two pairings with the same ham. Keep cheeses separate, use small portions and note what you would repeat. No universal winning pairing is needed.
Choose two cheeses with their details available
Start with a fresh cheese and an aged one, or two familiar cheeses. Read designations, ingredients and allergens; the word aged alone cannot tell you which you will enjoy more. A whole wheel or the most expensive cheese is unnecessary for this home comparison.
Set out three plates and small amounts
Put ham on one plate and each cheese on its own, using clean utensils. Cut only what you will taste and store the rest according to their packs. Perishables should not remain unrefrigerated for more than 2 h, or 1 h above 32 °C; these limits are not recommended waiting times.
Perishable food safety: FoodSafety.gov.
Jamones Paco Heredia for this article
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
Jamones Paco Heredia
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
View the collection →Taste twice using the same ham
First taste ham alone, then each cheese separately. Next try a small ham bite with the first cheese and repeat with the second, keeping the ham constant. Sip water between tests if desired. Note whether you prefer them together, alternating or on separate plates; this guides the next board better than a universal rule.
The selection follows the Jamones Paco Heredia catalogue. Editorial photographs illustrate formats; check the collection for current products and their details.
Choose ham and complete your own board
The commercial selection below shows ham available at Jamones Paco Heredia. Choose cheeses separately; their presence in photographs does not mean they are included. Browse ham and shoulder packs or other Spanish ham formats. To start with ham alone, follow our ham tasting at home.