Charcuterie vs. Antipasto

You like potato and I like potahto
You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto
Let's call the whole thing off.

Antipasto vs Charcuterie. Are they the same thing? Not exactly, let me help to explain.

Charcuterie - First let's get the pronunciation down right - “shar-coo-ta-ree,” "shark-oo-duhree".

Charcuterie is French. It is a board filled with cooked and dry-cured meats, sausages and pâté with various garnishes like bread, olives, nuts, dried fruit, crackers or baguette bread, jelly, honey or jam.

Antipasto “an-tee-paa-stow”.

Antipasto is Italian. It is a platter of meats, cheeses, vegetables, olives and bread. The antipasto platter is very similar to a charcuterie board. Both involve dry, cured meats and garnishes. The main difference between Antipasto vs Charcuterie, aside from their cultural background, is that the charcuterie does not normally have cheese. Many people will add cheese in order to provide yet more variety.

Literally, the word “antipasto” is derived from the Latin root “anti” meaning “before” and “pastus,” which means “meal.” The antipasto course simply refers to the dish that precedes all the others to come. In English, we call it the appetizer course, For the French, it is the hors d'oeuvre. In Italy, it's called the antipasto.

The presentation of antipasto i.e. the colors, the artful composition, the care taken in its preparation, and the quality of ingredients all remind guests that it is a time for enjoyment, relaxation and indulgence.

Over the past couple of years, the word charcuterie has become trendy. Meats and cheese boards have become a massive trend on social media, with individuals referring to themselves as "charcuterie influencers." With this phenomenon, charcuterie boards have gotten away from their French origins and now include variations of candy, hot chocolate and almost anything else imaginable.

So while Pickles & Pancetta is happy to custom-make any twist on a charcuterie board that suits your event, our main focus is on traditional Italian Antipasto.

If you’d like additional tips about how to choose the best, freshest and most authentic ingredients, and also simple tips on how to make your next event even more amazing, add subscribe to oiur private email list below.