Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue (2024)

FAQs

What is the traditional Swiss dish of melted cheese? ›

Raclette (/rəˈklɛt/, French: [ʁaklɛt]) is a dish of Swiss origin, also popular in the other Alpine countries (France, Germany, Austria), based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes.

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

In Switzerland, the main ingredients are Gruyère and vacherin from Fribourg, in equal parts (it is called, fittingly, 'moitié – moitié'). In France, it is often made from French cheeses like Comté, Beaufort and Emmental - which is the recipe for the classic Fondue Savoyarde, from the Alpine region of Savoie.

Accompaniments often include potatoes, cornichon, and pickled pearl onions. Accompanying beverages are white wine, tea, and occasionally a glass of kirsch. Although locals consider fondue a main course, you'll be able to enjoy it as an entree or an appetizer as you dine in the Swiss Alps.

Gruyère. Made of raw milk from cows grazing on the flower-speckled hills of western Switzerland, Gruyère is the consummate melting cheese. It's the star of classics like our French Onion Soup and Cheese Fondue, thanks to its gloriously smooth texture under heat.

A key difference between fondue and raclette is how the cheese is melted for raclette. According to Taste France Magazine, a raclette involves searing a block of cheese over an open flame before scraping the melted portion over boiled potato slices and adding toppings like deli meats or gherkins.

The recommended non-alcoholic beverage is hot tea. Many Swiss believe, and indeed insist, that it is crucial to avoid drinking cold beverages with fondue, as they are thought to cause the cheese to coagulate in the stomach and potentially cause very uncomfortable digestive distress.

That's exactly why polite fondue etiquette demands that you should only use your front teeth to take the bread from your fork. That fork is going to go back into the pot for more. So, the Swiss, and probably everyone else, don't want your lips all over their cheese. Keep that tongue and those lips in check.

Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption. The Swiss Cheese Union also created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defence of Switzerland".

There are four commonly prepared types of fondue: cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, oil fondue (also known as meat fondue), and broth fondue. Fondue savoyarde traditionally includes the cheeses comté, beaufort, reblochon, and abondance.

What meat is used in fondue in Switzerland? ›

Traditional meat fondue is a beloved Swiss culinary tradition that brings together friends and family around a communal pot of hot oil or broth for cooking bite-sized pieces of meat. Traditionally, the dish involves preparing beef; however, variations might include chicken, pork, or even game meats.

Traditional cheese fondue is typically made with a blend of Swiss cheese (typically a mix of cubed Emmentaler and Gruyere), dry white wine, and a touch of Kirschwasser (cherry brandy). To prepare your fondue pot, rub the inside of the pot with a cut clove of garlic, then add the wine and bring to a simmer.

Steamed red-skinned potato chunks, grilled or toasted Tuscan bread cubes, and pear slices are all great for dipping in fondue cheese.

Traditionally, a Swiss cheese fondue is accompanied by a fruity white wine from western Switzerland. Due to the high salt and fat content of cheese, high acidity should be avoided in the accompanying wine. However, this leaves room for new combinations in addition to the classics Chasselas and Fendant.

Swiss tradition says that if a man loses his dipping item in the pot, he buys the next round of drinks. If a woman loses her item in the pot, she must offer a kiss to her neighbors.

One of the most prominent Swiss specialties is fondue. This classic dish is essentially melted cheese in a special pot (known as “caquelon”), into which pieces of bread are dipped.

Fondue. The beloved Alpine dish and old school favourite of bubbling molten hot melted cheese is enough to make most cheese lovers go weak at the knees. Despite its longevity there are no hard and fast rules when making fondue.

Romandie (French-speaking Switzerland)

Cheese fondue, raclette and Croute au fromage - a Swiss version of cheese on toast (Valais) also come from the French-speaking part of Switzerland and these days are well known throughout Switzerland.

Moitié-moitié (or half and half), also called Fondue Suisse: Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois. Neuchâteloise: Gruyère and Emmental (sometimes referred to as the original or traditional fondue).