A Look Back at the Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog
We sure knew how to throw a party back in the eighties, and no eighties party buffet was complete with a cheese and pineapple hedgehog.
What is a Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog?
For those of you who don’t know, where have you been???
Back in the late seventies and eighties, a cheese and pineapple hedgehog would be the centrepiece of the buffet table. The base would usually be made out of half a large melon or large orange which would be wrapped in tin foil. This would be the hedgehog’s body. Into this would be chunks of cheese and chunks of pineapple on sticks. And that was pretty much it, it was the height of sophistication back then!
How to make a Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog
- Chop a large fruit such as grapefruit, melon, large orange or watermelon in half, removing any excess juice as you do so. Half a large potato works just as well.
- Wrap the fruit in tin foil and place it flat-side down.
- Pierce a chunk of cheese and a piece of pineapple with a cocktail stick. You can use fresh chunks of pineapple or open up a tin of pineapple chunks, whichever you prefer.
- Push the cocktail stick into the fruit hedgehog base.
- Repeat until your hedgehog is covered with spikes.
And voila, it really is that simple.
Alternatives to Cheese and Pineapple
If the combination of cheese and pineapple on sticks doesn’t appeal to you, then there are plenty of other options if you fancy making your own hedgehog. Here are a few other things you could stick on skewers:
- Cocktail sausages
- Glacé cherries
- Prawn skewers
- Cucumber ribbon
- Pickled onions
- Grapes
- Fruit kebabs
- Melon
- Apple
The possibilities are endless really and you can put all kinds of combinations onto cocktail sticks and create a unique hedgehog.
I have such fond memories of party food from my childhood, it was often so simple yet we felt we were the height of sophistication. I might put together my own Cheese and Pineapple hedgehog next time we have a family get together and see how well it goes down.
