Fondue
Fondue in its modern form owes much to deliberate promotion: the Swiss Cheese Union championed it internationally from the 1930s onward to boost cheese exports. The dish itself is older — Alpine herders melted aged cheese with wine in winter when bread was stale — but the version with its dedicated pot and long forks became a worldwide symbol of Swiss cuisine through mid-century marketing. The wine is the technical key. Dry white wine provides the acidity that prevents the cheese proteins from seizing into rubbery clumps. Cornstarch adds stability. The cheese should be grated finely and added in stages over low heat, stirring in figure-eights rather than circles, which helps distribute the melted fat evenly. Kirsch, the cherry eau-de-vie, is stirred in at the end.
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400 g Gruyère, coarsely grated
- 200 g Emmental, coarsely grated
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 300 ml dry white wine (Fendant or Chasselas)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp kirsch (cherry brandy)
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large crusty baguette (about 500 g), cut into 2 cm cubes
- Cornichons and boiled new potatoes to serve
How to make it
- 1Rub the inside of a fondue pot with the cut sides of the garlic clove; discard the garlic.
- 2Pour the wine into the pot and heat over medium heat until just below simmering.
- 3Toss the grated Gruyère and Emmental with the cornstarch until evenly coated.
- 4Add the cheese to the warm wine in three batches, stirring in a figure-eight motion after each addition until fully melted and smooth, about 8–10 minutes total.
- 5Stir in the kirsch, nutmeg, and a grind of black pepper; the fondue should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
- 6Place the pot over a fondue burner set to low to keep it gently bubbling.
- 7Spear bread cubes on fondue forks and swirl into the cheese, reaching the bottom of the pot to prevent a crust from forming.
- 8Serve with cornichons and boiled new potatoes.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
