Fondue's Dutch Roots: A Cultural Culinary Adventure

Fondue is a Swiss dish consisting of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot. The word fondue comes from the French word fondre, which means to melt. It was popularized in the 1960s in North America and is now commonly associated with Swiss culture and winter sports. While fondue is typically made with cheese and wine, there are also dessert variations that use chocolate and fruit. The dish is meant to be shared by a group of people and is often served in a small pot over a flame. Fondue is a fun and interactive way to enjoy food and has become a symbol of Swiss unity and national identity.

Fondue's origins

Fondue, which comes from the French "fondre", meaning "to melt", originated in 18th-century Switzerland. It was a way for farm families to stretch their limited resources during the winter months. With some leftover cheese, stale bread, and wine, the family could gather around the hearth. In Alpine farm villages, bread was only baked occasionally, so dipping it in the melted cheese softened it and made it more palatable.

The first written recipes for fondue appear in 18th-century cookbooks published in France and Belgium, but they call for Gruyère, a Swiss cheese, so the Swiss are credited as the originators of the dish. Fondue was popularised in the 1930s by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) as a way to increase cheese consumption in Switzerland. After World War II, the Swiss Cheese Union resumed its campaign, promoting fondue as the Swiss national dish and a symbol of Swiss unity and national identity.

Fondue was introduced to America in 1964 at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant at the New York World's Fair. It became popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods made in chafing dishes. The term "fondue" was also generalised to refer to other dishes where food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid, such as chocolate fondue and fondue bourguignonne.

How to serve fondue

Fondue is a Swiss dish of melted cheese and wine, served in a communal pot and eaten by dipping bread, vegetables, or other snacks into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. The word "fondue" comes from the French verb "fondre", which means "to melt". It is typically made with Swiss cheese and Gruyère, flavoured with white wine and kirsch.

Choose the right equipment

Use a fondue pot, also known as a caquelon, to serve your fondue. This is a communal pot that is placed over a portable stove, known as a réchaud, heated with a candle or spirit lamp.

Prepare the ingredients

The traditional Swiss cheese fondue consists of grated or cut-up cheese melted with wine. Bread is the most common food to dip into the fondue, but you can also use vegetables such as raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or potatoes. Fruits like apples or pears are also a good option. If you want to make it more of a meal, you can add cured meats like sausage, salumi, chorizo, or prosciutto.

Heat the fondue

Combine the grated cheese, wine, and seasoning in the fondue pot and heat gently until the cheese is melted. You can also add some kirsch for extra flavour. Stir the mixture continuously to ensure it is smooth and well-combined. If the fondue becomes too thick, you can add some additional wine to thin it out.

Serve with style

Arrange all of your dipping options on a large platter or use wooden cutting boards. Make sure you have enough skewers or long-stemmed forks for everyone. For a fun touch, you can continue the Swiss theme with some Swiss-themed decorations or table settings.

Enjoy the fondue

Spear a piece of bread or your chosen dipper on your fork, swirl it in the pot, and enjoy! Fondue is a social and interactive dish, so it's perfect for a dinner party or get-together with friends. Just be careful not to lose your bread in the pot, or you may have to buy everyone a round of drinks, sing a song, or even run around in the snow naked, according to some fondue traditions!

Fondue traditions and customs

Fondue, the Swiss national dish, is a winter meal and a comfort food to be enjoyed family-style. It is traditionally made and served in an earthenware pot known as a caquelon—a wide, shallow pot that heats evenly and retains heat so the meal can be enjoyed for longer. Fondue is generally eaten by skewering cubes of bread into the bubbling cheese and swirling them for a few seconds to coat and soak up the cheese.

The Swiss consider it bad form to lose your bread in the pot, and they will half-jokingly assign a penalty to it, such as washing the dishes or buying a round of drinks. However, it is considered a delicacy to let a dark crust called the religieuse form at the bottom of the pot and then chip it away and serve it up at the end of the meal.

Fondue is enjoyed and found in homes and at restaurants throughout Switzerland, though it is most common in traditional or rural areas in both French and German-speaking regions. It is rarely served in elegant restaurants, as the aroma can overpower the more subtle flavours of other diners' food.

There is no standard recipe for fondue, nor is there a single type of cheese that is universally favoured. One popular rendition is an equal blend of Gruyère and Vacherin Fribougeois, known as "moitiè-moitiè" or "half-half." But if you’re in eastern Switzerland, it’s likely to be Gruyère mixed with an aromatic Appenzeller. In Valais, you’ll often enjoy a blend of Gruyère and Raclette, while in canton Bern, Emmentaler is the most common cheese used.

Although cheese, wine, and garlic are the basic ingredients in Swiss fondue, you’ll also find other add-ins such as mountain herbs, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, and occasionally tomato coulis. The bread used for dipping is always sturdy and can be either white or brown, cut into bite-sized chunks. Accompaniments often include potatoes, cornichon, and pickled pearl onions. Accompanying beverages are white wine, tea, and occasionally a glass of kirsch.

The meaning of fondue

Fondue is a Swiss dish consisting of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot (called a caquelon or fondue pot) over a portable stove (réchaud) heated with a candle or spirit lamp. It is eaten by dipping bread, vegetables, or other foods into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. The word "fondue" comes from the French word "fondre," which means "to melt."

The origins of fondue can be traced back to 18th-century Switzerland, where farm families would use it as a way to stretch their limited resources during the winter months. By dipping stale bread into melted cheese, they could create a comforting and delicious meal. The first written recipes for fondue appeared in 18th-century cookbooks published in France and Belgium, but they called for Gruyère, a Swiss cheese, so the Swiss are rightfully credited as the originators of this dish.

In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) popularized fondue as a Swiss national dish as part of a campaign to increase cheese consumption in the country. After World War II, the Swiss Cheese Union resumed its campaign, promoting fondue as a symbol of Swiss unity and national identity. Fondue even made its way into Swiss military cookbooks and became popular in the United States after being introduced at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Today, fondue is considered a winter meal in Switzerland, enjoyed by families and tourists alike. It is traditionally made and served in an earthenware pot called a caquelon, which heats evenly and retains heat. While there is no standard recipe, fondue typically includes cheese, wine, and garlic, with various add-ins such as mountain herbs, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, and occasionally tomato coulis. The bread used for dipping is always sturdy and can be either white or brown, cut into bite-sized chunks. Accompaniments often include potatoes, cornichon, and pickled pearl onions, and beverages such as white wine, tea, and kirsch.

Over time, the term "fondue" has been generalized to other dishes where food is dipped into a communal pot of hot liquid. Examples include 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. Fondue is a delicious and social meal, perfect for bringing people together over a pot of melted cheese or chocolate!

Fondue's journey to America

Fondue, from the French "fondre", meaning "to melt", originated in 18th-century Switzerland as a hearty meal for farm families during the winter months. 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 origins, fondue was more frequently enjoyed by people of means and was not limited to the farmhouse and the peasant class.

In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) popularised fondue as part of a campaign to increase cheese consumption in Switzerland. After World War II, the Swiss Cheese Union continued its marketing campaign, promoting fondue as the Swiss national dish and a symbol of Swiss unity and national identity. Fondue even made its way into Swiss military cookbooks.

However, fondue was still unknown in America, the world's largest cheese market. This changed in 1964, when fondue was introduced to Americans at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant at the New York World's Fair. The Swiss Cheese Union's aggressive marketing campaign paid off, and fondue became popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods made in chafing dishes. Fondue's journey to America was complete, and it has since become a beloved dish enjoyed by many.

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