To create the ideal Italian-inspired aperitivo board, you need an equal measure of artistry and culinary science as well as a healthy appetite. One of the best sources of inspiration is Afrim Pristine, a certified cheese master and co-owner of popular Toronto shop Cheese Boutique. Here, Pristine shares the must-have bites that regularly earn a coveted spot on his boards.
Afrim Pristine’s list of the best snacks to serve at aperitivo hour
- Green Cerignola olives
- Italian flatbread
- Prosciutto di Parma, 24 months
- Italian mortadella
- Fennel taralli
- Hot Toscano salami, made in-house at Cheese Boutique
- Mini olive oil Grissini
- San Carlo lime and pink pepper potato chips
- Ontario-made Brigid’s brie from Gunns Hill Dairy
- San Pietro Cheese from Veneto, made with cows’ milk and aged in beeswax
- Aged Piave, a 3 year-old aged cow cheese from Veneto
- Tuscan antipasto pickled vegetables, made in-house at Cheese Boutique
Tarelli
“When I was a kid, my mother wouldn’t ever give me a bag of chips to snack on; she would always give me taralli. At the time, my friends thought it was weird, but taralli have become fairly mainstream now, which I love.”
Grissini
“I wanted to change it up a bit. Grissini are classic on an aperitivo board, but the mini version looks pretty and is great for sharing.”
Potato Chips
“What’s better than chips and a Spritz on a sunny day in Florence? I chose a lime and pink-pepper flavour to modernize the board and give it some excitement.”
Prosciutto di Parma
“Prosciutto di Parma gets more concentrated in flavour as it ages. That said, an older version isn’t necessarily better than a younger – they’re just different. When there are other meats and cheeses involved, I find that a 24-month complements everything so well.”
Mortadella
“Mortadella is what I grew up eating. I love the number ‘three,’ and I feel that adding three meats to your board is where you can diversify and create a great collection of textures and flavours.”
Hot Toscano Salami
“We’ve been making hot Toscano salami for decades at my store – it’s a signature recipe for us. The balance of chili and orange peel works brilliantly. It has the perfect amount of spice and citrus and screams for an Aperol Spritz.”
Piave and San Pietro Cheeses
“Sharp and nutty, Piave is one of the most underrated cheeses in the world. And the San Pietro is awesome and unique – beeswax imparts a natural honey sweetness. Both are made where Aperol is made – what grows together, goes together.”
Brigid’s Brie
“This is a milder brie with a creamy texture that works great with flatbread. It’s made at Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese in Woodstock, Ont., which I feel is a top-five cheese producer in Canada. Ideally, you’d leave this cheese out for three to four hours before serving for optimum impact.”
