Instagram Entertaining Trend
Charcuterie boards - artistic arrangements of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts - became 2018-2023’s dominant entertaining aesthetic via Instagram. The photogenic spreads spawned cottage industry of board businesses and aesthetic excess.
Rise: Pinterest/Instagram making fancy boards accessible; “grazing board” variations
Components: Cured meats (prosciutto, salami), cheeses (brie, cheddar, goat), crackers, fruits, nuts, honey, jams
Aesthetic rules: Color variety, texture contrast, height variation, “controlled chaos”
Pandemic boom: Perfect socially-distanced outdoor entertaining; individual “charcuterie cups”
Business opportunity: Home charcuterie board businesses (sell $50-150 boards for pickup)
Variations: Breakfast boards, dessert boards, butter boards (controversial), veggie boards
Backlash:
- Over-the-top excess (boards for 2 people costing $200)
- Performative entertaining
- Food waste
- Accessibility (expensive ingredients)
DIY culture: YouTube tutorials, board styling classes, specialized boards/knives
Charcuterie boards represent how Pinterest/Instagram made restaurant-level presentation expected for home entertaining.
Sources:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/01/charcuterie-board-pandemic/617575/
https://www.eater.com/