This week, it was all about prandial etiquette, and specifically the minimum number of cheeses required to make a proper cheeseboard. Thanks for all your responses on this. I now know that simply finding two bits of ancient cheddar in the back of the fridge and putting them on the lid of a tupperware pot is simply not good enough.

Herewith some of your replies, in brie(f):

In Dublin, Peter McKenna talked us through the basics

It’s strange, given the importance of this question, that this is the first time I have heard it posed. Restaurants offer a choice of three cheeses, good restaurants may offer a choice of five… Plate size may be a factor here. In the domestic environment obviously different criteria apply. One cheese is not a cheese course, it’s a cheese. Two cheeses don’t give any scope to cover the variety of tastes and textures that cheeses offer. Three is a bare minimum but suggests the host is serving a cheese course on sufferance. Consequently I offer four cheeses as the minimum that one can present as a cheese course and expect credibility.

Dominic Pinto drew on his Norman roots

As a descendant of a proud Norman woman, born near to Pont-l’Évêque, who came to this country just over 100 years ago, it has to be the classic four: neufchâtel, livarot, pont l’évêque, camembert …

Shona Goulds said quality was as important as quantity

It depends on the quality and distinctiveness of the cheeses represented: four unusual and interesting cheeses would just about ‘cut the mustard’, however, if a boring cheddar is included it has to be five!

While Gretchen Zeigler took a mathematical approach to the question

First of all, it needs to be an odd number. It’s more aesthetically pleasing. That said, three is not enough and seven seems extensive unless it’s a very large gathering. At any rate, the question asked about the MINIMUM number.

Simple. The answer is FIVE.

Simon Anderson got a little carried away

A subject dear to my heart. I would say that a cheese board should contain a bare minimum of five different cheeses in order to call itself respectable. Nine or 10 being optimum, any more and the choice becomes overwhelming. My ideal basic cheese board would contain the following cheeses; sharp cheddar; cheshire; red leicester; wensleydale; stilton; camembert or brie; edam or gouda; limburger; fresh buffalo mozzarella; a strong, soft goat cheese.

Mustards, chutneys and malt vinegar pickled onions. Fruit is wonderful but does not belong on a cheese board.

Soft fresh French bread and unsalted butter, assorted crackers and warm pitta wedges. Extra virgin olive oil.

I am actually drooling now.

In northwest England, Jan Delaunay prefers something simpler.

Two, as long as they are of exceptional quality. I suggest a good stilton and a perfect camembert, grapes and chunks of a French baguette.

How I miss them after having no sense of taste and smell for six months.