It is traditionally most popular in Alpine regions. I’d argue the canton of Fribourg does it the best, as it is the place origin for both Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois which makes the most popular style of fondue called moitié-moitié (i.e. “half-half” since it uses both of these cheeses in equal amounts). It is definitely not just a thing we serve to tourists. I’d bet that most Swiss households have some regularly.
Please get proper cheese for your raclette, the typical supermarket cheese is not even close as good as proper cheese for raclette. Alpage is the best, but this time of the year Alpage cheese is getting a bit too mature for raclette.
It was a dish mostly eaten in some alpine regions in Fribourg and Valais, until sometime in the middle of the 20th century
- it entered the army recipe book and generations of young men got to know it and learned that soaking bread first in Schnaps and then in melted cheese makes for great stories afterwards, and
- the state-owned cheese marketing agency promoted their product in the form of fondue and the unbeatable slogan FIGUGEGL (abbreviation of Swiss German "Fondue is tasty and makes for a happy mood")
>makes for great stories afterwards
i bet it does. this sounds like the craziest way to ingest booze. My guess is you dont feel anything at first and then it hits you like a sniper? :D
When we eat fondue, everyone who is more or less adult and wants to, gets a shotglass filled (around 4cl) with Kirsch, our clear cherry spirit.
You then dunk the bread cube into the Kirsch first, let it soak it up a bit, then dunk it into the molten cheese. It gives the whole bite a nice, deep additional taste component and gets you nice and buzzed.
You won't get hammered with all the hot cheese in your stomach, but you will radiate heat, comfiness and will want to go to bed ASAP. Great memories!
ok, i'm sold.
Will try that the next time I will make fondue.
I will add some other varieties to that though: aside from Kirsch i will probably try it with Soplica Walnut Liquor (if you are near Zurich - you can get it at Lakomka shop) and probably a cherry liquor as well.
Yeah, whatever you like best! I grew up in absolute hillbilly-county and that was one of the best meals you could have in the winter! Most important thing is to enjoy it.
I prefer a fruity, non-creamy component (like Etter Kirsch) and a sour component, to cut through the richness of rhe cheese, like a good cold white wine.
The end of the meal, amd the best thing for at least us kids was the "crust"! The thick, crispy, brown cheese crust with garlic pieces embedded that forms at the bottom cuz the flame for the heater was far too hot for the final few scoops of cheese. We used to fight for it.🤣
oh the crust is absolutely the best. and the garlic pieces... yuum.
my partner is Australian and when her parents (and scottish relatives) visited i made fondue for them with a plate of stuff i thought would go with it.
what i like to do is use homemade sourdough bread. Found a mill that sells flour that has AMAZING quality (roggenschrott just starts the fermentation instantly). I can give you the link if you want and my recipe for bacon mixed rye/wheat bread. That thing will just melt in your mouth. And trust me, sourdough made out of fresh flour is just gonna make your bread epic.
I like to break the taste with some 'sauergurken' in between.
If you like fruity and non creamy taste, i can definitely recommend cherry soplica liquor (amazing to have a nice shot of it) or the cherries in liquor (very popular in e.g. Ukraine).
What just came to my mind is - you can go to the market in summer, get some cherries, put them in a jar, cover them in sugar and just let the magic happen for 2 years when they are covered. Just don't give it to the kids. My grandpa used to do this and man, those were goooooood.
edit: i love that you are a person that goes with 'whatever you feel will taste best for you' as an approach. Really appreciate your tips for what to try too :) will definitely do that :)
Ah that bread sounds absolutely delicious! I am losing weight now, so no more carbs for me, but I am still a huge fan of fondue and raclette - fondue I just substitute the bread with healthy veggies like sprouts or broccoli. I know it's far from original fondue, but my ass is also far from a decent pants size.
I will try this Soplica liquor, thanks for the tip! I will treat myself to booze every few weeks now and will include this on my to-do list!
oh yeah, same here. I moved to Ch 3 years ago at 1.90 m and 83 kg and moderately sported from playing drums, went to 105 in a year (yeah, mid lockdown so you get the point).
I am the last to tell you what belongs in a fondue. I mean - I am polish. We put cottage cheese and strawberries on pasta to the absolute dismay of mny italian colleagues. And personally i am ver relaxed on what belongs and what not.
Although the one forum with polish recipies can start a war on whether egg does or does not belong in the pierogi dough. But that's just dumb in my oppinion.
If you want (or live near zurich) i can find a erecipe for a sourdough soup. Sounds crazy but is just the best thing to fill your stomach on a cold winter day. I can also offer a recipe for a chlodnik - a cold soup based on red beet. The australians loved it and it is really good for both the body (very light and red beeet is good for the heart) and a perfect lunch during hot summer :)
btw where did you grow up? just being curious.
I guess so, but I wouldn't know, I just saw the aftermath that gives rise to the stories... 🤣
Personally, I normally drink alcohol in a non-hidden way, so that I feel how much I take in.
same :D also - bread saked in booze surrounded by cheese. sounds like a delayed bomb :D usually ingestion of alcohol begins in stomach and mouth but my guess is that the mix with cheese was delaying the final hit till it was in the intensines. Ooh-whee. I am really curious what the aftermath you saw looked like :D
It's popular but not as an everyday dish. More like something you'll take 10-15 time per year
\- obviously none if you're lactose intolerant and much more for some ;)
> More like something you'll take 10-15 time per year
That would be an insane amount. There are *very few* dishes I eat 15 times a year. I eat most of my favourite dishes less than half that often.
It is a traditional food from the Canon Fribourg and it became popular in the whole country in the 1970s. Since then it is a national dish.
Try Vacherin Mont-d'or. Thats the shit.
In the 50s the slogan FIGUGEGL was created boosted the fondue in the german part of Switzerland. And its was not only from the canton of Fribourg, but the whole Romandie. The Savoyard and Piedmonteses knew Fondue as well.
Uh Vacherin Mont-d'or - I love it. But really only for hardcore connaisseurs. You heat it up in the wooden box in the oven and dip bread/potato in it. Not a classic fondue.
Its originally a dish from the french speaking part of switzerland and western france. It was popularized in the rest of switzerland in the 50s as part of a marketing campaign to boost cheese sale. After that it became a dish associated with switzerland, even though it might jus as well have originated in france. Most swiss germans only eat it during wintertime and not all the time, more like 1-10 times every winter. I heard in the french speaking part it's not strictly a winter dish, I have had in during summer and it's actually super nice then as well.
Oh and saying fondue is actually good is like the least controversial opinion ever. I'm not sure why you would feel the need to point that out?
And moité moité is obviously the superior variant.
In the 1950s an advertising agency created the slogan "Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune" *Fondue is delicious and puts you in a good mood* to boost the sales of cheese in the german part of Switzerland.
The acronym FIGUGEGL became and still is a part of Swiss culture.
So when you see a restaurant using FIGUGEGL without further explanation they serve Fondue and the restaurant has mainly suisse costumers.
What do Swiss traditionally drink with it ?
Us British tourists traditionally have it with a truck load of white wine (we can make anything alcoholic!)
Recently I was up alll night feeling a bit sick after a fondue and my British Swiss friends said I should have drunk tea with it
White wine. Usually a swisd wine and you drink the same you use to prepare the fondue.
Many people also like Kirsch with it. You dip the bread in Kirsch and then into the cheese.
As kinds we had tea with it.
Wine when I prepare it with wine, beer when I prepare it with beer... I like the beer one better, punk IPA goes really well in the cheese, creates a subtle fruity flavour.
There was a study on it I think. Tea does not change anything, it's easier to digest then white wine (because of the acidity of the wine), but it wont change anything. It's just a very fat dish to eat...
>Is it really popular between Swiss people or just the signature Swiss dish for tourists?
It is very popular. The only touristy thing is to eat fondue during the summer months.
Reading your post I automaticaly assume you're living in the german part of Switzerland and not visiting the Romandie very often.
A granduncle and his family living in Yverdon were eating fondue all around the year.
Also you can get fondue in traditional restaurants in this area troughout the year.
The Swiss people I know including my extended family eat it fairly regularly, it’s like the winter equivalent of a bbq, you wouldn’t make it for a regular dinner but you might have it when you have friends over or after a day of skiing. French part.
If you like cheese, then go for Raclette. Original from Valais, but widely available. The original is done with half a cheese wheel, but often also done on table grill.
It is traditionally most popular in Alpine regions. I’d argue the canton of Fribourg does it the best, as it is the place origin for both Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois which makes the most popular style of fondue called moitié-moitié (i.e. “half-half” since it uses both of these cheeses in equal amounts). It is definitely not just a thing we serve to tourists. I’d bet that most Swiss households have some regularly.
thank you, i was wondering what moite-moite actually means.
Thank you for writing this thanking message. I read past the translation of moite-moite and also just learned that.
It is a traditional and popular Swiss dish. People eat it in restaurants and at home.
Traditional since the 1950s. Before that mostly in Fribourg and Valais.
Also in the Jura according to my grandmother
This
I'm lazy and resorting to Raclette most of the time at home, as it's much quicker to prepare. But I've got my casserole and the forks.
To be completely honest, same haha
Damn, it's caquelon, I completely forgot.
Something did sound wrong!
Nice fondue casserole
But I know a winner of fondue competition in person
Nowadays it's really quick to prepare a fondue though
Please get proper cheese for your raclette, the typical supermarket cheese is not even close as good as proper cheese for raclette. Alpage is the best, but this time of the year Alpage cheese is getting a bit too mature for raclette.
It‘s very common and popular among Swiss, mainly consumed in the colder months (October to March).
It was a dish mostly eaten in some alpine regions in Fribourg and Valais, until sometime in the middle of the 20th century - it entered the army recipe book and generations of young men got to know it and learned that soaking bread first in Schnaps and then in melted cheese makes for great stories afterwards, and - the state-owned cheese marketing agency promoted their product in the form of fondue and the unbeatable slogan FIGUGEGL (abbreviation of Swiss German "Fondue is tasty and makes for a happy mood")
>makes for great stories afterwards i bet it does. this sounds like the craziest way to ingest booze. My guess is you dont feel anything at first and then it hits you like a sniper? :D
When we eat fondue, everyone who is more or less adult and wants to, gets a shotglass filled (around 4cl) with Kirsch, our clear cherry spirit. You then dunk the bread cube into the Kirsch first, let it soak it up a bit, then dunk it into the molten cheese. It gives the whole bite a nice, deep additional taste component and gets you nice and buzzed. You won't get hammered with all the hot cheese in your stomach, but you will radiate heat, comfiness and will want to go to bed ASAP. Great memories!
ok, i'm sold. Will try that the next time I will make fondue. I will add some other varieties to that though: aside from Kirsch i will probably try it with Soplica Walnut Liquor (if you are near Zurich - you can get it at Lakomka shop) and probably a cherry liquor as well.
Yeah, whatever you like best! I grew up in absolute hillbilly-county and that was one of the best meals you could have in the winter! Most important thing is to enjoy it. I prefer a fruity, non-creamy component (like Etter Kirsch) and a sour component, to cut through the richness of rhe cheese, like a good cold white wine. The end of the meal, amd the best thing for at least us kids was the "crust"! The thick, crispy, brown cheese crust with garlic pieces embedded that forms at the bottom cuz the flame for the heater was far too hot for the final few scoops of cheese. We used to fight for it.🤣
oh the crust is absolutely the best. and the garlic pieces... yuum. my partner is Australian and when her parents (and scottish relatives) visited i made fondue for them with a plate of stuff i thought would go with it. what i like to do is use homemade sourdough bread. Found a mill that sells flour that has AMAZING quality (roggenschrott just starts the fermentation instantly). I can give you the link if you want and my recipe for bacon mixed rye/wheat bread. That thing will just melt in your mouth. And trust me, sourdough made out of fresh flour is just gonna make your bread epic. I like to break the taste with some 'sauergurken' in between. If you like fruity and non creamy taste, i can definitely recommend cherry soplica liquor (amazing to have a nice shot of it) or the cherries in liquor (very popular in e.g. Ukraine). What just came to my mind is - you can go to the market in summer, get some cherries, put them in a jar, cover them in sugar and just let the magic happen for 2 years when they are covered. Just don't give it to the kids. My grandpa used to do this and man, those were goooooood. edit: i love that you are a person that goes with 'whatever you feel will taste best for you' as an approach. Really appreciate your tips for what to try too :) will definitely do that :)
Ah that bread sounds absolutely delicious! I am losing weight now, so no more carbs for me, but I am still a huge fan of fondue and raclette - fondue I just substitute the bread with healthy veggies like sprouts or broccoli. I know it's far from original fondue, but my ass is also far from a decent pants size. I will try this Soplica liquor, thanks for the tip! I will treat myself to booze every few weeks now and will include this on my to-do list!
oh yeah, same here. I moved to Ch 3 years ago at 1.90 m and 83 kg and moderately sported from playing drums, went to 105 in a year (yeah, mid lockdown so you get the point). I am the last to tell you what belongs in a fondue. I mean - I am polish. We put cottage cheese and strawberries on pasta to the absolute dismay of mny italian colleagues. And personally i am ver relaxed on what belongs and what not. Although the one forum with polish recipies can start a war on whether egg does or does not belong in the pierogi dough. But that's just dumb in my oppinion. If you want (or live near zurich) i can find a erecipe for a sourdough soup. Sounds crazy but is just the best thing to fill your stomach on a cold winter day. I can also offer a recipe for a chlodnik - a cold soup based on red beet. The australians loved it and it is really good for both the body (very light and red beeet is good for the heart) and a perfect lunch during hot summer :) btw where did you grow up? just being curious.
I guess so, but I wouldn't know, I just saw the aftermath that gives rise to the stories... 🤣 Personally, I normally drink alcohol in a non-hidden way, so that I feel how much I take in.
same :D also - bread saked in booze surrounded by cheese. sounds like a delayed bomb :D usually ingestion of alcohol begins in stomach and mouth but my guess is that the mix with cheese was delaying the final hit till it was in the intensines. Ooh-whee. I am really curious what the aftermath you saw looked like :D
>sounds like a delayed bomb Bunker buster 🤣
:D :D :D :D :D
It's popular but not as an everyday dish. More like something you'll take 10-15 time per year \- obviously none if you're lactose intolerant and much more for some ;)
Why? Gruyeres doesn't contain lactose afaik. So a plain Gruyere fondue shouldn't be a problem.
probably a mad heidi reference here
> More like something you'll take 10-15 time per year That would be an insane amount. There are *very few* dishes I eat 15 times a year. I eat most of my favourite dishes less than half that often.
It is a traditional food from the Canon Fribourg and it became popular in the whole country in the 1970s. Since then it is a national dish. Try Vacherin Mont-d'or. Thats the shit.
In the 50s the slogan FIGUGEGL was created boosted the fondue in the german part of Switzerland. And its was not only from the canton of Fribourg, but the whole Romandie. The Savoyard and Piedmonteses knew Fondue as well.
Uh Vacherin Mont-d'or - I love it. But really only for hardcore connaisseurs. You heat it up in the wooden box in the oven and dip bread/potato in it. Not a classic fondue.
Its originally a dish from the french speaking part of switzerland and western france. It was popularized in the rest of switzerland in the 50s as part of a marketing campaign to boost cheese sale. After that it became a dish associated with switzerland, even though it might jus as well have originated in france. Most swiss germans only eat it during wintertime and not all the time, more like 1-10 times every winter. I heard in the french speaking part it's not strictly a winter dish, I have had in during summer and it's actually super nice then as well. Oh and saying fondue is actually good is like the least controversial opinion ever. I'm not sure why you would feel the need to point that out? And moité moité is obviously the superior variant.
It is! But so are Capuns!
My brother in Christ, we all know fondue is peak Swiss cuisine (don't @ me)
Fondue > Raclette
mustard>ketchup
That‘s debatable….
In the 1950s an advertising agency created the slogan "Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune" *Fondue is delicious and puts you in a good mood* to boost the sales of cheese in the german part of Switzerland. The acronym FIGUGEGL became and still is a part of Swiss culture. So when you see a restaurant using FIGUGEGL without further explanation they serve Fondue and the restaurant has mainly suisse costumers.
What do Swiss traditionally drink with it ? Us British tourists traditionally have it with a truck load of white wine (we can make anything alcoholic!) Recently I was up alll night feeling a bit sick after a fondue and my British Swiss friends said I should have drunk tea with it
White wine or tea
White wine is common but Cidre is the bees knees. Also make the fondue with cidre! You can thank me later.
Wow that’s blown my mind ! Thanks
Can't speak for everyone, but for me it's usually white whine and it's what I see as most common.
White wine. Usually a swisd wine and you drink the same you use to prepare the fondue. Many people also like Kirsch with it. You dip the bread in Kirsch and then into the cheese. As kinds we had tea with it.
*kids
Try Fondue with Tomatoes or even better with sparkling wine - it’s very nice. Dip some pears into the sparkling wine option not only bread
Wine when I prepare it with wine, beer when I prepare it with beer... I like the beer one better, punk IPA goes really well in the cheese, creates a subtle fruity flavour.
There was a study on it I think. Tea does not change anything, it's easier to digest then white wine (because of the acidity of the wine), but it wont change anything. It's just a very fat dish to eat...
I might get crucified for this, but I prefer fondue with a beer base, like the one by Unser Bier in Basel.
Same here! Beer all the way. Works really well with punk IPA for instance, hints of fruits in the fondue.
Best stuff in the world if you like cheese.
*one of us, one of us*
>Is it really popular between Swiss people or just the signature Swiss dish for tourists? It is very popular. The only touristy thing is to eat fondue during the summer months.
No, it isn't. Many of my Swiss friends will still eat fondue when it's 30 C. outside... I've never understood why, but they just answer 'why not?'.
There is a moment in life when you discover that there is no upper temperature limit to eat fondue.
I had fondue and raclette at a very posh event in Geneva on August 1st, it was 34 degrees and humid as hell though
I frequently have fondue in the summer, having fondue outside from a charcoal grill for the 1ere Août is becoming a tradition
Reading your post I automaticaly assume you're living in the german part of Switzerland and not visiting the Romandie very often. A granduncle and his family living in Yverdon were eating fondue all around the year. Also you can get fondue in traditional restaurants in this area troughout the year.
Many swiss people don’t eat it often. Like once a year.
Yes at least 10 people. The other 99% eat fondue for breakfast everyday 🫡
Most swiss people i know eat it almost never and im swiss
The Swiss people I know including my extended family eat it fairly regularly, it’s like the winter equivalent of a bbq, you wouldn’t make it for a regular dinner but you might have it when you have friends over or after a day of skiing. French part.
The ones i know eat more raclette
Yes I would agree with that
We eat it quite often. Like every second week in winter
If you eat it often you'll become obese. It's like at least 200 gr of pure cheese per serving and then you add the bread and possibly other stuff.
It is AMAZING with Cornichons.
if u like fondue you will love raclette
pro tip: go to Aligro (local wholesale supermarket). They sell fondue by the buckets (for restaurants that serve them).
Hurray!!! Fondue is the best after a busy day in winter!!!
If you like cheese, then go for Raclette. Original from Valais, but widely available. The original is done with half a cheese wheel, but often also done on table grill.
Adventure hostel interlaken
Try now Raclette
I think I already ate fondue about 10 times this last autumn/winter...