How to properly cut cheese?

You've been invited to a meal, and then comes the cheese platter. Panic sets in, as you're unsure how to cut it properly. You do your best, but the result is a real mess. No more worries, here are various techniques for cutting cheese.

A Little Lesson in Cheese Geometry

Cheeses like camembert, coulommiers, and reblochon fall into the flat round category of small and medium sizes. They should be cut like a cake, into equal portions from the center to the edge.

Continuing with round cheeses but in larger sizes, like brie: they can be presented whole or in wedges (points). First, cut long slices (as with the previous type), then cut these slices in half. Another option is to start by cutting a few portions widthwise from the tip and then lengthwise from the heel.

Cheeses like valençay and charolais are cylindrical or pyramidal in shape. They should be cut like round cheeses but into thin, elongated portions that cover the entire height of the cheese.

Square-shaped cheeses like maroilles: Begin by cutting them diagonally (resulting in two triangles), then cut each triangle in half, and so on (to achieve 4, 8, or 16 equal portions).

Log-shaped cheeses (like Sainte-Maure de Touraine): Simply slice them in parallel after removing the ends. If there's a straw, it's better to remove it before slicing to prevent breaking the slices.

Cheeses like comté, salers, and morbier come in wheel-shaped slices. Start by cutting the core into slices parallel to the rind, then, at the midpoint, cut the heel in the opposite direction or in a fan pattern.

For blue cheeses, the strongest flavors are concentrated in the marbling. Quartered blues (like roquefort) should be laid flat and cut into a fan shape. Cylindrical blues (like fourme d'Ambert), when cut into discs, are sliced like camembert.

Runny cheeses like mont d'or should have the rind removed delicately with the tip of a knife, and then be served with a spoon.

Very hard cheeses like mimolette can be simply broken or shaved into chips with a peeler.

Equip Yourself Well

For an elegant cheese presentation, check out some Laguiole cheese boards available on our website.

And for a proper cut, nothing beats a beautiful Laguiole cheese set! Discover all our Laguiole cheese knives and sets on our site!