Fondue Etiquette: No Water, But Why?

Fondue, a Swiss specialty, is a dish that involves melting local cheese and mixing it with garlic and wine in a ceramic pot. It is served with long forks and cubes of bread, meat, vegetables, and fruits. While fondue is a delicious meal, it can have distressing effects on the stomach due to the high amount of dairy consumed. According to Swiss lore, drinking water with fondue can cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in your stomach, leading to indigestion. This belief has been passed down through generations and is taken seriously by many Swiss people. However, some people claim that this is just a myth and that water does not have any negative impact when consumed with fondue.

Swiss lore says water causes coagulation

Swiss lore says that drinking water with fondue will cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in your stomach, leaving you with debilitating indigestion. This is because eating large quantities of dairy can slow down the digestive process, causing bloating or constipation. Drinking water between bites of fondue can make this worse, as it can cause the stringy liquid to clot into a ball in your stomach, preventing the cheese from being digested properly.

Indeed, some people have experienced stomach pain after drinking water with fondue, reporting that the cheese formed a ball in their stomach. However, others have drunk water with fondue without any ill effects, suggesting that the lore may be an old wives' tale.

Instead of water, Swiss tradition dictates that you should drink white wine, kirsch (a fruit brandy), or a tisane of herbal tea with your fondue. These drinks are believed to aid digestion and prevent the cheese from coagulating. A 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal found that drinking black tea with fondue spurred digestion faster than drinking wine. However, the study's researcher, Dr Mark Fox, noted that healthy people could drink whatever they liked with fondue.

Water is said to cause bloating and constipation

While some people may not experience any issues with drinking water while eating fondue, for others, it can cause discomfort and a feeling of heaviness and bloating. The belief that water should be avoided when consuming fondue is so strong in Swiss culture that it is considered an important part of fondue etiquette.

To avoid potential digestive issues, traditional Swiss fondue is often accompanied by alcoholic beverages such as white wine, kirsch, or herbal tea. These drinks are believed to aid digestion and prevent the formation of a cheese ball in the stomach. However, it is important to note that alcohol can also slow down digestion, and excessive consumption can lead to a longer delay in the digestive process.

A 2010 study published in the "British Medical Journal" found that gastric emptying, or the rate at which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine, took longer with alcohol consumption compared to black tea. The study concluded that the feeling of bloated fullness after consuming a rich pot of cheese fondue lingered longer when accompanied by alcohol. As a result, the study recommended that individuals who experience reflux or heartburn should opt for tea instead of alcohol when enjoying fondue.

Alcohol is favoured over water

According to Swiss lore, drinking water with fondue can cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a ball in your stomach, leading to indigestion. This belief also extends to other drinks like juice, beer, and soda. Instead, Swiss tradition suggests drinking wine, specifically dry white wines like Riesling or room-temperature Fendant, a sparkling white wine made from Chasselas grapes. Wine is believed to aid digestion due to its acidic nature.

In addition to wine, a shot-sized serving of Kirsch, a colourless fruit brandy made from sour Morello cherries, is also commonly consumed with fondue. Some people even dunk their bread in Kirsch before dipping it into the fondue pot for an extra kick of alcohol. While cocktails are not typically served with traditional Swiss fondue, strong, alcohol-forward drinks like martinis can also make a fabulous pairing.

While alcohol is favoured in Swiss tradition, some people opt for black tea, which has been shown in studies to aid digestion faster than wine when paired with fondue. Herbal teas are the most traditional choice, but black tea is recommended by researchers for its potential digestive benefits.

Black tea is a popular alternative to water

Fondue is a traditional Swiss dish, typically eaten during cold weather. It involves melting local cheese and mixing it with garlic and wine in a ceramic pot served over a small flame. Diners then use long forks to dip cubes of bread into the simmering cheese. It is a heavy meal, and as such, it is commonly accompanied by a drink. However, Swiss lore advises against drinking water with fondue, as it is believed that this will cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in the stomach, resulting in indigestion.

While some people opt for alcoholic beverages like white wine or kirsch to accompany their fondue, black tea is another popular alternative. A 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal found that drinking black tea with fondue resulted in faster gastric emptying—the rate at which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine—compared to drinking alcohol. The study, led by Dr Mark Fox, concluded that alcohol significantly slows down digestion. Specifically, the research found that when drinking tea with fondue, it took about six hours for the stomach to start properly emptying, whereas with alcohol, it took nine hours.

Dr Fox noted that the length of the digestive process may not impact the qualitative experience of the meal, and that healthy people can drink whatever they like with fondue. However, he added that if one is prone to reflux or heartburn, drinking tea with fondue may help to prevent these issues.

Black tea is, therefore, a popular alternative to water when eating fondue, as it is believed to aid digestion and prevent the cheese from coagulating in the stomach. It is a good option for those who want to avoid the potential negative effects of drinking water or other beverages with fondue, such as bloating or indigestion.

White wine is the most popular drink with fondue

Fondue is a traditional Swiss dish, and as such, it has its own set of rules and traditions. One of these traditions is that you should not drink water with fondue. Swiss lore says that water, juice, beer, or any drink other than white wine, kirsch, or herbal tea will cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in your stomach, resulting in indigestion.

White wine is, therefore, the most popular drink to have with fondue. Its acidity helps to stimulate digestion and prevent the cheese from clumping together. The best types of white wine to have with fondue are dry wines with high acidity, such as Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay. These wines are also used in the fondue itself, with the acid in the wine helping to keep the cheese mixture smooth and evenly textured.

While water is a no-go with fondue, other drinks are Swiss-approved. These include black tea, which, according to a 2010 study, aids digestion better than alcoholic drinks. Kirsch, a colorless fruit brandy, is also a traditional drink to have with fondue, and is said to whet the appetite.

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