Traditional Fondue Fribourgeois - Legendary and Original Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What are some of the traditions around eating fondue? ›

Swiss tradition calls for drinking only white wine, kirsch, or herbal tea with fondue. Fondue forks are usually different colors so everyone can keep track of their fork. No double dipping is allowed! Garlic flavor is added by rubbing a garlic clove along the inside of the fondue pot.

There are three main types: cheese fondue, oil or broth fondue and chocolate fondue. Cheese fondue Mixing a variety of cheeses is best when serving a cheese fondue. Before you start, rub a garlic clove inside the pot for added flavor. Shred all cheeses that will be used to create the fondue before melting it.

Fondue, which comes from the French “fondre”, meaning “to melt,” had its origins in 18th century Switzerland as a means for farm families to stretch their limited resources during the winter months. With some remaining cheese, some stale bread, and a dash of wine the family could gather around the hearth.

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

There are two kinds of fondue: cheese and fondue Chinoise, which uses broth like a hot pot. With fondue Chinoise, you can dip thin slices of meat, vegetables, or fish into the broth to cook it. In the end, you drink the broth.

Shockingly, fondue largely remained a local tradition until the 1930s when the Swiss Cheese Union (also known as the Schweizerische Käseunion) ran a successful campaign to name fondue the national dish of Switzerland.

To cut a steak for fondue, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. The best cuts of beef for fondue include top sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin. Cut or slice the meat according to personal preference. Some prefer to slice steaks into long strips, while others cube the meat into small pieces.

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Olive oil, while delicious, is not the best choice for fondue because it has a strong flavour and a relatively low smoke point. Instead, consider using Canola oil, which is inexpensive, has a neutral flavour, and has a high smoke point. Peanut oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower seed oil are good options.

The earliest known recipe for the modern form of cheese fondue comes from a 1699 book published in Zürich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" '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.

What country has the best fondue? ›

Nah, this isn't fiction but the staple food in Switzerland. Le Gruyère is Switzerland's most popular cheese that has been made for centuries in the countryside around the villages of Gruyère. Enjoy these heavenly and decadent specialities like cheese fondue."

Don't drink anything but these 3 beverages: Sip only white wine, kirsch, or a tisane of herbal tea with your fondue meal. According to Swiss lore, any other drink—be it water, juice, or beer—will cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in your stomach, leaving you with debilitating indigestion.

Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini are delicious if roasted first. Or steam some green beans, pearl onions, and radishes, or a variety of baby potatoes like Yukon Gold, fingerling, red, or purple.

Typical fondue bread cubes are cut from white bread, but half-white or wholegrain bread also works well. If you like, you can also use wholemeal bread or bread for toasting, fried in butter. Other options include boiled potatoes, blanched vegetables or fruit (e.g. pears, apples or grapes).

The tradition of eating fondue during Christmas began in the canton of Fribourg in the 18th century. Fondue is considered a symbol of unity, as it brings people together around the table.

As a host, remind everyone that the proper way to eat fondue is to use the long fondue fork to dip and then place the dipper on your small plate. Then use your dinner fork to eat your dippers. To keep your dinner party germs and contaminants free, no one should eat directly from the fondue fork.

After World War II rationing ended, the Swiss Cheese Union continued its marketing campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organizers across Switzerland. Fondue is now a symbol of Swiss unity. Fondue is also often associated with mountains and winter sports.

Culinary tradition refers to the practices, customs, techniques, and recipes associated with food preparation and consumption within a particular culture or region.