The Melty History Of Fondue

Fondue is a Swiss dish, typically consisting of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot. The earliest known recipe for the modern form of fondue comes from a 1699 book published in Zurich, under the name Käss mit Wein zu kochen or Let's cook cheese with wine. It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it. Fondue was promoted as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union in the 1930s and was popularized in North America in the 1960s. The word fondue comes from the French verb fondre, meaning to melt.

The first fondue recipes

The first written recipes for fondue, or "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" (let's cook cheese with wine), date back to the 18th century, appearing in cookbooks published in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The Swiss, however, are credited with creating fondue because these early recipes call for the use of Gruyère, a Swiss cheese.

The first recipe for modern cheese fondue, which excludes eggs, was published in 1875 and was already presented as a Swiss national dish. This recipe, which combines cheese and wine, was made possible by the introduction of corn starch to Switzerland in 1905, which helped create a smooth and stable emulsion of the two ingredients.

The Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) played a significant role in popularising fondue as Switzerland's national dish in the 1930s as part of their campaign to increase cheese consumption in the country. They also created pseudo-regional recipes to promote Swiss unity and national identity.

Fondue's association with Switzerland, mountains, and winter sports was further solidified after World War II when the Swiss Cheese Union resumed its marketing efforts, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across the country.

Today, fondue is a symbol of Swiss unity and culture, enjoyed by people worldwide. It is a social meal that brings people together, allowing them to dip bread, vegetables, or other snacks into a communal pot of melted cheese and wine, creating a fun and delicious experience for all.

The Swiss Cheese Union

After World War II, the Swiss Cheese Union resumed its successful campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across the country. They also promoted fondue internationally, introducing it to America at the 1964 New York World's Fair, where it was served at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant. This led to the world's first fondue restaurant chain, 'the melting pot'.

In addition to their promotional efforts, the Swiss Cheese Union also played a role in standardising and refining the fondue recipe. The introduction of corn starch to Switzerland in 1905 made it easier to create a smooth and stable emulsion of wine and cheese, improving the texture and taste of fondue and likely contributing to its success.

Today, fondue is enjoyed worldwide, with various regional variations reflecting local tastes and ingredients. The Swiss Cheese Union's successful campaign transformed fondue from a simple peasant dish to a beloved symbol of Swiss culture and hospitality.

How fondue was introduced to America

Fondue was introduced to America in 1964 at the New York World's Fair, where it was featured at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant. At this time, America was the world's largest cheese market, but fondue was still unknown to Americans.

The Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) had been popularising fondue as the Swiss national dish since the 1930s, as a way of increasing cheese consumption in Switzerland. After World War II, the Union continued its marketing campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across the country.

In the 1950s, the term "fondue" began to be used more generally to refer to any dish in which food is dipped into a communal pot of hot liquid. Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur, introduced fondue bourguignonne (a variation featuring hot oil and meat) at his Chalet Suisse restaurant in New York in 1956. In the mid-1960s, he also invented chocolate fondue as part of a promotion for Toblerone chocolate.

Fondue became popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods made in chafing dishes. The introduction of fondue to the American market even led to the world's only fondue restaurant chain, 'The Melting Pot'.

Fondue variations

The word "fondue" has been generalized to refer to other dishes with a similar format of dipping food into a communal pot of liquid. Here are some of the most popular variations:

Cheese Fondue

The traditional Swiss fondue consists of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot, with bread, vegetables, or other snacks dipped into the cheese. The cheese is typically a blend of Swiss cheeses, such as Gruyère, Emmental, and Vacherin, mixed with garlic, wine, and Kirschwasser (a type of brandy made from cherries). Other common additions include mountain herbs, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, and mustard.

Fondue Bourguignonne

Also known as oil fondue, this variation features chunks of meat cooked in hot oil or broth instead of cheese. The meat is skewered on a long fork and immersed in the hot oil, and served with various dipping sauces such as Béarnaise, aioli, and horseradish sauce. Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur, introduced this style of fondue at his Chalet Suisse restaurant in 1956.

Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate fondue, or fondue au chocolat, is a sweet variation consisting of a pot of melted chocolate. Popular foods to dip into the chocolate include pretzels, marshmallows, vanilla wafers, strawberries, bananas, apples, and rice crispy treats. Konrad Egli is credited with inventing chocolate fondue in the mid-1960s as part of a promotion for Toblerone chocolate.

Hot Pot

Hot pot is a similar concept to fondue that originated in China, predating fondue by about 2,000 years. It involves cooking chunks of meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and noodles in a communal pot of simmering broth.

Bagna Cauda

Bagna cauda is an Italian dish similar to fondue, which relies on pureed anchovies for texture and flavour. It is typically accompanied by vegetables as dipping foods.

Queso Fundido

Mexico's version of fondue, queso fundido, is served with tortillas instead of bread.

The meaning of 'fondue'

The word "fondue" is derived from the French verb "fondre", which means "to melt". It is the feminine passive past participle of the verb and so means "melted". The word was first used in French in 1735, in Vincent La Chapelle's Cuisinier moderne, and in English in 1878. The German form borrows the French as a loanword.

Since the 1950s, the term "fondue" has been generalised to refer to other dishes in which food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept warm. This includes chocolate fondue, where pieces of fruit or pastry are dipped into melted chocolate, and fondue bourguignonne, where pieces of meat is cooked in hot oil or broth.

Fondue is a Swiss dish that typically consists of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot (called a "caquelon" or "fondue pot") over a portable stove (a "réchaud") heated by a candle or spirit lamp. It is eaten by dipping bread, vegetables, or other snacks into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way to increase cheese consumption in Switzerland.

The earliest known recipe for the modern form of cheese fondue comes from a 1699 book published in Zurich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" or "Let's cook cheese with wine". It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it. However, the name "cheese fondue" originally referred to a dish composed of eggs and cheese, as mentioned in La Chapelle's 1735 Fonduë de Fromage, aux Truffes Fraiches. It was described as something between scrambled eggs with cheese and a cheese soufflé.

The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue under that name, with cheese and wine but no eggs, was published in 1875 and was already presented as a Swiss national dish. The introduction of corn starch to Switzerland in 1905 made it easier to create a smooth and stable emulsion of the wine and cheese, likely contributing to the success of fondue.

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