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Beautifully arranged charcuterie and cheese boards are all the rage, popping up more and more on restaurant menus and at home gatherings. It can be a complex process, selecting the perfect combination of meats and cheeses and setting everything up so that it’s social media-worthy (here’s the arranging method you should try for your next cheese board, by the way). If you’re hoping to step things up a notch beyond the monotonous routine of cheddar cheese and Ritz crackers, take a page from the Italians’ antipasto handbook and add taralli to your next cheese board.
Taralli, or tarallo in its singular form, are Italian crackers that have been an antipasto staple for hundreds of years. They pair well with meats and cheeses thanks to their crunchy nature and salty flavor. Some compare taralli to crackers, but considering its unique shape and simplistic ingredients, others say it’s more like a breadstick. Either way, the circular treat is one of Southern Italy’s most popular snacks and a beloved addition to cheese boards for its ability to enhance other flavors, especially if you use a fennel or multigrain taralli. Taralli are also one of the items Giada De Laurentiis always includes on her charcuterie boards.
How taralli became an antipasto must-have
Taralli are traditionally served before the main meal as part of an antipasto or appetizer, either paired with meats and cheeses or served all on its own. It’s not uncommon to find Italians dipping their taralli in wine, similar to how Italians dip their bread in coffee for breakfast. Standard taralli are made with only five ingredients – flour, salt, olive oil, water, and white wine — but you can find newer versions with flavors such as fennel, peperoncino, cacio el pepe, or turmeric. The snacks are shaped like tiny rings, an homage to the shape of a bagel, but are often twice-cooked to achieve a level of extra crispiness.
The legend of the taralli’s creation says that a mother in Puglia, Italy, needed to feed her family but only had those five ingredients in her pantry. She mixed everything and was pleasantly surprised with the results, sharing her meal with loved ones and sparking a phenomenon. Today, the taralli recipe is passed down through families and sold at mom-and-pop style shops around the world, though you can find it at more common stores such as Walmart or Whole Foods, too. You can even order an 8.81-ounce bag from Mitica on Amazon. You could also try making some on your own — just remember not to skip this important step before making taralli.
