Cooking is a process so steeped in chemistry, that all foods are essentially experimental, even if our minds are inclined towards considering only those dishes that are covered in a plume of smoke. Just take a look at the advent of charcuterie — the school of cooking that is likely to have emerged out of the pantry when garde manger chefs, who helmed meat and dairy larders where these products were stored before the days of refrigeration, began playing around with cold cuts, since the preservation processes would lend a unique flavour to the meats. Then, they started pairing them with fun condiments like cheese, crackers and jams, and voila, we got the charcuterie board.

Now, they are slowly replacing their better-known cousin, the cheese board. So, we invited city chefs to give us the lowdown on their favourite boards.