Charcuterie Board vs. Appetizer Board

Charcuterie Board/Tray

CHARCUTERIE French

A delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes, specifically cooked, processed, or cured cold meats and meat products, originally and typically pork products, as sausages, pâtés, hams, etc.

CHARCUTERIE BOARD/TRAY

A board or tray with cooked, processed, or cured cold meats and meat products, typically pork products, as sausages, pâtés, hams, etc.

APPETIZER BOARD/TRAY

A board or tray with an arranged presentation of food that is served before a meal begins.

Appetizer Board/Tray

I cannot explain why these things bother me so. Why cannot I just let people call things what they want to call things? I just cannot. 

The word “charcuterie” literally translates from French to “delicatessen,” and when the word came about they did not have fancy deli meats like we do today...they had pork, lots and lots of pork. So if the food on the board/tray is not mainly pork it is not a charcuterie board/tray. Can you add grapes and cheese to a charcuterie board if you desire? Sure. But if your board is mainly cheese, crackers, and grapes you have a Lunchable, not a charcuterie board.