Giving The Gift Of Cheese: What Not To Do

Cheese is one of the best holiday gifts you can give, despite being a bit unconventional. It is versatile enough to offer something for everyone, easy to find, and delicious to eat. While it is easy to give cheese as a gift, there are some things you should avoid doing.

Don’t Forget About Refrigeration

If you are going to give cheese as a present, keep refrigeration in mind. Unless you are bringing the cheese right from your refrigerator to someone else’s within a few hours, it is probably best to stick to hard cheeses as they won’t go bad as quickly. Or give soft cheeses, but include a discrete ice pack or cooling system of some sort to keep it fresh.

Don’t Forget About Safety Risks

While cheese is delicious, not all cheese is safe for everyone to eat. If, for example, you plan to give cheese to a pregnant woman, stick to non-soft cheeses. Soft cheese has a higher risk of listeria, bacteria that can be life-threatening for the baby and the mom-to-be. Also avoid giving cheese to a very small child (under a year), although that’s not usually a thought anyway.

Don’t Forget About Dietary Restrictions

Even though cheese is incredibly delicious, some people will not be able to eat all of it or any of it due to dietary restrictions. Whether it is a medical restriction (such as a milk allergy) or a personal decision (such as being a vegan), be respectful. If someone has a milk allergy, then try giving them a goat cheese instead or some fresh buffalo mozzarella. If they are lactose intolerant, opt for a hard cheese (the older the better) as it will have less lactose due to aging.

Don’t Be Boring

Giving cheese may seem like an easy way out of picking a gift for someone, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Simply going to your local grocery store and buying a chunk of store-brand mozzarella, cheddar, and something else won’t be enough. Instead, use the gift of cheese as an opportunity to have your gift recipient try new things. Order from a specialty cheese retailer and buy something they’ve never tried before, such as flavored cheese curds or a Jurassic cheddar.

Don’t Feel Overwhelmed

The most important thing to avoid when giving cheese is feeling overwhelmed. There are lots of cheeses to pick from and that can make it hard to pick which ones you want to give, let alone worry about presentation. If you feel lost, either get the help of a cheese expert from a specialty cheese store or just buy a pre-packaged cheese gift set. These are affordable and tend to be available in a variety of themes.