Cheese Fondue's Swiss Origins And History

Cheese fondue is a Swiss dish consisting of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot. 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, which translates to to 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.

Cheese fondue is said to have originated in Switzerland as a way to use hardened cheese and stale bread during the winter months when fresh produce was scarce. The traditional cheeses for making it are Swiss cheeses, mainly Emmental and Gruyère. The name is derived from the French verb fondre, meaning to melt.

The first cheese fondue recipe

During the winter months, when fresh food was scarce, Swiss farmers would cook up wine, garlic, and herbs with hardened cheese to make the most of their leftovers. This dish was likely to have been cooked in a communal pot over a fire, with stale bread being dipped into the melted cheese mixture.

While the exact origins of modern cheese fondue are a little unclear, blurred somewhere along the French-Swiss border, and between Alpine farmers and the wealthy classes, it is now a Swiss staple.

In the late 17th century, a Swiss cookbook, Kochbuch der Anna Margaretha Gessner, mentions cooking cheese with wine. Another early recipe, from 1735, includes a blend of eggs and cheese, which was described by the French politician and gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, as "nothing other than scrambled eggs with cheese".

The modern recipe that we are familiar with today, without the eggs, was first written down in the French Rhône-Alpes region near the Swiss border in 1875. This recipe included the usual cheese, wine, and herbs and was already presented as a Swiss national dish.

Swiss Cheese Union's role

The Swiss Cheese Union played a pivotal role in the popularisation of cheese fondue, promoting it as Switzerland's national dish in the 1930s. The Union, known as Schweizer Käseunion in German, embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign with catchy slogans like "La fondue crée la bonne humeur" ("fondue creates a good mood"). They also distributed fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across Switzerland, ensuring that fondue became deeply ingrained in Swiss culture.

The Swiss Cheese Union's efforts extended beyond marketing. They actively created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defence of Switzerland". This meant that while the exact origins of modern cheese fondue may be blurry, the Swiss Cheese Union's campaign successfully solidified its association with Switzerland.

The Union's motivation was twofold. Firstly, they wanted to increase cheese consumption. Secondly, they aimed to foster a sense of unity and national identity among the Swiss people by promoting fondue as a national dish. This was particularly important in the context of the time, as Switzerland sought to strengthen its identity following World War II.

The Swiss Cheese Union's campaign had a lasting impact. Fondue became synonymous with Swiss culture, often evoking images of mountains, winter sports, and communal dining. The dish's popularity spread beyond Switzerland, reaching North America in the 1960s and gaining traction in the 1970s. Even today, fondue remains a symbol of Swiss unity and a beloved part of the country's culinary heritage.

The dish's hazy history

The history of cheese fondue is a little blurry, but we do know that it originated in Switzerland in the 18th century. It was a way for people to use up stale bread and aged cheese during the colder months when fresh produce was scarce. The first-ever cheese fondue recipe was published in Zurich in 1699. It was called "Käss mit Wein zu kochen", which translates to "to cook cheese with wine". The recipe calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it.

Some sources say that the dish was first created by Alpine farmers in Switzerland who would cook up wine, garlic, and herbs with cheese to make the most of their leftovers during winter. Others claim that it was a dish for townspeople, with rich cheese like Gruyère being a valuable export item that peasants could not afford to eat.

The name "cheese fondue", up until the late 19th century, referred to a dish composed of eggs and cheese. The French politician and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin described it as "nothing other than scrambled eggs with cheese". It was around 1875 that the modern recipe we know today was first written down in the French Rhône-Alpes region near the Swiss border. This version of cheese fondue included cheese, wine, and herbs, but no eggs.

In the 1930s, the Schweizer Käseunion (or Swiss Cheese Union) promoted cheese fondue and raclette as Switzerland's national dishes. The Swiss Cheese Union also created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defence of Switzerland". Fondue was also popularised in North America in the 1960s.

Fondue as a Swiss winter tradition

Fondue is a Swiss winter tradition that began as a way to use hardened cheese and stale bread during the colder months when fresh produce was scarce. The Swiss, particularly Alpine farmers, would cook up wine, garlic, and herbs with cheese, melting it over a fire. This mixture would soften the stale bread when dipped into it, making it easier to eat.

The first recipe for cheese fondue dates back to 1699 when it was referred to as "Käss mit Wein zu kochen", which translates to "to cook cheese with wine". The practice is believed to have originated in the Swiss mountains, but it soon spread to the lowlands, where Gruyère cheese was a favourite ingredient.

The Swiss Cheese Union played a significant role in popularising fondue as a Swiss national dish in the 1930s. They promoted fondue and raclette, another cheesy dish, as part of the "'spiritual defence of Switzerland', aiming to increase cheese consumption and unite the Swiss people. Their aggressive marketing campaign included slogans such as "La fondue crée la bonne humeur" ("fondue creates a good mood") and sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organisers across Switzerland.

Fondue is now a symbol of Swiss unity and is often associated with mountains and winter sports. It is a quintessential Swiss dish, as ubiquitous in Switzerland as chocolate or watches. Whether in a family-run restaurant in a mountain village or in the cobblestone streets of Geneva's Old Town, fondue is a popular meal, especially after a day on the snow-covered Alps.

The traditional Swiss cheeses used in fondue are mainly Emmental and Gruyère, although other variations exist, including Vacherin, Appenzeller, and Sbrinz. The fondue is typically served in a communal pot called a "caquelon" or "fondue pot", kept warm over a portable stove ("réchaud"). Long-stemmed forks are used to dip bread, vegetables, or other snacks into the melted cheese.

Fondue is a social and communal dining experience, often enjoyed with a glass of chilled white wine. It is said that the best bite of fondue develops at the bottom of the pot during the meal—a crusty slab of cheese called "le religieuse" that is reverentially scraped off and shared.

Variations of the dish

Cheese fondue has evolved since its first recipe in 1699, which was called "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" or "to cook cheese with wine". The dish has since seen many variations, both regionally and internationally.

Regional Variations

Regional variations of cheese fondue in Switzerland include the Fribourg-style "Fribourgeoise", which uses Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese and potatoes instead of bread. Another Swiss variation is "Moitié-moitié" (or "half and half"), which is made with equal parts Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois. The Neuchâteloise variety uses Gruyère and Emmental, and the Innerschweiz variety includes Sbrinz in addition to the previous two cheeses. The Genevoise variety includes Gruyère of several maturities, a little Emmentaler, and some Valais cheese. Morels are sometimes added to this variety. The Interlaken variety includes Appenzeller in addition to the cheeses in the Neuchâteloise variety. The Appenzeller variety uses Appenzeller cheese with added cream. The Savoyarde variety uses two or three different cheeses from Beaufort, Abondance, Gruyère, or Emmental. The Jurassienne variety uses mature or mild Comté.

International Variations

Internationally, cheese fondue has been adapted to include local ingredients and flavours. The Italian Fonduta Piemontese uses Fontina, milk, and eggs, and the Valdôtaine variety uses Fontina, milk, and eggs and is typical of the Aosta Valley. In France, cheeses such as Comté, Beaufort, and Reblochon are used, and in Italy, Fontina is a popular choice. In China, a lighter version of meat fondue called Fondue Court Bouillon originated when a Swiss man visited and was served a similar dish with broth instead of oil. In America, chocolate fondue or dessert fondue was invented in the mid-20th century.

Frequently asked questions