Cheese Fondue: Breads To Dip And Savour

Fondue is a simple, social dish that combines cheese, wine, and seasonings, heated until melted. It is thought to have originated in 18th-century Switzerland, where farmers would use leftover cheese, stale bread, and a little wine to create a hearty meal during harsh winters. The best bread for cheese fondue is a dense loaf that is lightly toasted, such as a baguette, sourdough, or French bread. These breads provide a crunchy texture and are excellent at soaking up the cheesy goodness.

Bread types

Bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue. The best bread for cheese fondue is crusty, dense bread that is good at soaking up the cheese. Bread should be lightly toasted to prevent it from falling apart in the cheese.

French bread, baguettes, sourdough, rye, pumpernickel, and focaccia are all popular choices. For something a little different, you could try a rustic cranberry walnut loaf or a sweet bread with nuts and dried fruits.

If you want to get creative, you could make your own breadsticks, pretzels, bagels, or English muffins to dip into the fondue.

For a special occasion, you could even make your own homemade pretzels. These are easier to make than you might think and go especially well with cheese fondue.

Toasting and dipping

Toasting your bread before dipping it into the cheese fondue is a great way to prevent it from falling apart once it's soaked in all that cheesy goodness. It's also a good idea to cut your bread into large cubes or small pieces to make it easier to dip and ensure that it can hold up after becoming moist.

When it comes to choosing the right bread for cheese fondue, the options are endless. Here are some popular choices:

• French bread
• Sourdough
• Rye
• Pumpernickel
• Baguette
• Multigrain bread
• Focaccia
• Ciabatta
• Naan
• Challah

But don't feel limited by this list! Experiment with different types of bread to find your favourite. A denser bread will work best for dipping, and you can also try unique varieties like a rustic cranberry walnut loaf.

If you're feeling ambitious, you can even make your own bread from scratch. But if you're short on time, a store-bought option will do just fine. So go ahead and toast up some bread, cut it into dipping-friendly sizes, and get ready to take your cheese fondue experience to the next level!

Other dippers

While bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue, there are plenty of other options to choose from. Here are some ideas for "other dippers" to serve with your cheese fondue:

Crackers and Chips

Whole wheat crackers, pita chips, wheat crackers, tortilla chips, crispy garlic basil chips, and sweet chipotle bacon crackers are all great options for dipping into cheese fondue. Potato chips are also a classic choice, but be careful as they can get soggy and fall apart easily.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, avocados, cherry tomatoes, and dried apricots or figs can be great for dipping into cheese fondue. For vegetables, try asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, artichoke hearts, green beans, or mushrooms. You can serve these raw or steamed, depending on your preference.

Meat and Seafood

Meat and seafood options can add a bit of protein to your cheese fondue spread. Try grilled steak, poached chicken, meatballs, cured meats such as salami or chorizo, or seafood like shrimp, crab, or lobster. Just make sure that any meat is fully cooked before dipping into the cheese fondue.

Other Ideas

Other unique dippers that can be fun to try include pickles, pasta shapes like shells or rigatoni, roasted radishes, air-fried pepper rings, pretzels, or even tater tots!

Fondue etiquette

Fondue is a social dish, so it's important to follow some basic etiquette to ensure everyone has a good time. Here are some tips for enjoying cheese fondue without causing any cultural mishaps:

• Fondue is typically a shared meal, so it's considered rude to double-dip.
• Use a long-handled fondue fork, and only one per guest.
• Bread cubes are the ideal food to spear and dip into the cheese fondue. The bread should be crusty and dense, like a baguette or sourdough, and lightly toasted.
• When dipping bread, don't pierce the cubes all the way through with the fondue fork. This is to avoid getting cheese on the tines of the fork, which shouldn't touch your lips or tongue.
• After dipping, hold the fork still for a moment to let the excess cheese drip off.
• Slide the bread off the fondue fork and onto your plate with a dinner fork, then eat it.
• When not dipping, rest the fondue fork on your plate.
• If you're eating with a group, move your bread in a clockwise, figure-eight, or zig-zag motion around the pot.
• Don't let the cheese sit for too long without stirring, or it will harden.
• If you drop your bread in the pot, you may have to pay a penalty, like kissing everyone at the table or buying a bottle of wine!
• In Switzerland, where fondue originated, it's customary to drink white wine, kirsch (a morello-cherry brandy), or herbal tea with your fondue. It's considered impolite to drink water with your meal.

Fondue history

Fondue, derived from the French verb "fondre", meaning "to melt", originated in 18th-century Switzerland as a means for farm families to make the most of their limited resources during the winter months. By melting leftover cheese with some stale bread and a dash of wine, they could create a hearty meal.

The first written recipes for fondue appeared in 18th-century cookbooks published in France and Belgium, which called for the use of Gruyère, a Swiss cheese. Despite its rural beginnings, fondue was enjoyed by people of all classes. In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union popularised fondue as part of a campaign to increase cheese consumption in Switzerland, promoting it as the Swiss national dish.

After World War II, the Swiss Cheese Union resumed its campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across the country. Fondue was introduced to America at the 1964 New York World's Fair, when it was featured at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant. It quickly gained popularity in North America during the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods prepared in chafing dishes.

While cheese fondue remains the most well-known type, the term "fondue" has since been generalised to refer to other dishes where food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid. This includes chocolate fondue, where fruit or pastry is dipped into melted chocolate, and fondue bourguignonne, where pieces of meat are cooked in hot oil or broth.

Today, fondue is enjoyed as a comforting winter meal in Switzerland, often accompanied by white wine, tea, or a glass of kirsch. It is traditionally made and served in an earthenware pot called a caquelon, which heats evenly and retains heat. The bread used for dipping is typically sturdy, either white or brown, cut into bite-sized chunks.

Frequently asked questions