 Cheese fondue and bread cubes | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Switzerland[1][2] |
| Main ingredients | Cheeses,white wine,garlic, oftenkirsch |
Fondue (UK:/ˈfɒndjuː/FON-dew,US:/fɒnˈdjuː/fon-DEW,[3][4]French:[fɔ̃dy],Swiss Standard German:[fɔ̃ːˈdyː]ⓘ;Italian:fonduta) is aSwiss[5] dish of meltedcheese andwine served in a communal pot (caquelon or fondue pot) over aportable stove (réchaud) heated with a candle orspirit lamp, and eaten by dippingbread and sometimesvegetables or other foods into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted as a Swissnational dish by theSwiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s.
Since the 1950s, the term "fondue" has beengeneralized to other dishes in which a food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept hot in a fondue pot: chocolate fondue,fondue au chocolat, in which pieces of fruit or pastry[citation needed] are dipped into a melted chocolate mixture,fondue bourguignonne, in which pieces of meat are cooked in hot oil, andfondue chinoise (hot pot).
The wordfondue is the femininepassive past participle, used as a noun, of the French verbfondre 'to melt', and thus means 'melted'.[6] It is first attested in French in 1735, inVincent La Chapelle'sCuisinier moderne,[7] and in English in 1878.[8]
The earliest known recipe for the modern form of cheese fondue comes from a 1699 book published inZürich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" 'to cook cheese with wine'.[9] It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it.
However, thename "cheese fondue", until the late 19th century, referred to a dish composed of eggs and cheese, as in la Chapelle's 1735Fonduë de Fromage, aux Truffes Fraiches;[7] it was something betweenscrambled eggs with cheese and a cheesesoufflé.[10]Brillat-Savarin wrote in 1834 that it is "nothing other than scrambled eggs with cheese".[11] Variations included cream ("à la genevoise") and truffles ("à la piémontaise") in addition to eggs, as well as what is now called "raclette" ("fondue valaisanne").[12]
The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue under that name, with cheese and wine but no eggs, was published in 1875, and was already presented as a Swissnational dish.[13] Despite its modern associations with rustic mountain life, it was a town-dweller's dish from the lowlands of western,French-speaking, Switzerland: rich cheese like Gruyère was a valuableexport item which peasants could not afford to eat.[14][15]
With the introduction ofcorn starch to Switzerland in 1905, it became easier to make a smooth and stableemulsion of the wine and cheese, and this probably helped contribute to the success of fondue.[16]
Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by theSwiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption. The Swiss Cheese Union also created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defence of Switzerland".[17][18] AfterWorld 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.[17] Fondue is also often associated with mountains and winter sports.[19]
In the meantime, fondue continued to be promoted aggressively in Switzerland, with slogans like "La fondue crée la bonne humeur" 'fondue creates a good mood' and (1981, inSwiss German) "Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune" 'fondue is good and creates a good mood' – abbreviated as "figugegl".[20]
Fondue was promoted to Americans at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant at the1964 New York World's Fair.[21]
A fondue party can be great fun
Fondue was popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods made inchafing dishes.[22]
The extension of the name "fondue" to other dishes served in a communal hot pot dates to 1950s New York. Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur, introducedfondue bourguignonne at his Chalet Suisse restaurant in 1956. In the mid-1960s, he invented chocolate fondue as part of apromotion forToblerone chocolate.[23]
Cheese fondue consists of some variation of a blend of grated cheeses that are melted, usually wine (but sometimes beer as an alternative), a thickening agent such as cornstarch or flour, and seasonings. The proportion of cheeses to wine is typically in a 2-to-1 ratio by weight (e.g., 800 g of cheese to 400 ml or 400 g of wine).[24][25]
Traditionally, thecaquelon is rubbed with a cutgarlic clove,white wine is added and heated with cornstarch, and then grated cheese is added and gently stirred until melted, although in practice all the ingredients can be combined and heated together at once. Somekirsch is often added. Fondue is very easy to prepare, even in large quantities.[26]
Thecornstarch or other starch stabilizes and thickens the mixture. Additional wine may be added if the fondue is too thick; itsacid andethanol decrease the fondue'sviscosity. A fondue can curdle if the protein separates from the fat, which is usually the result of not enough liquid in the mixture and an insufficiently acid mixture, so lemon juice is sometimes added.[27]
A cheese fondue mixture should be kept warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot that it burns. A typical target temperature is in the neighborhood of 65 C (150 F) as measured with a cooking thermometer. If maintained until the fondue is finished, a thin crust of toasted (not burnt) cheese will naturally develop at the bottom of thecaquelon. This is calledla religieuse (French forthe nun). It has the texture of a cracker and is almost always lifted out and eaten.[citation needed]
The regional names used for some of these variants arefactitious, and do not reflect genuine regional traditions.[17]
Refrigerated fondue blends are sold in most Swiss supermarkets asconvenience food and need little more than melting in the caquelon. Individual portions heatable in amicrowave oven are also sold.
Fondue is eaten by spearing a piece of bread on a fork, swirling it in the pot, and putting it into the mouth.[34] Some writers recommend that the dipping fork be used only to transport the food from the pot to one's plate, not to eat from.[35]
Losing a piece of bread in the caquelon is said to be penalized by buying a round of drinks, singing a song, or running around in the snow naked.[23] This is parodied inAsterix in Switzerland, where a character is sentenced to be drowned inLake Geneva after losing his third piece of bread.[36] Other fondue etiquette rules include 'always stirring in a figure of 8', 'not scratching the bottom of the caquelon with a fork that has no side on it' and 'adding an egg andkirsch schnapps to the caquelon when the cheese is almost finished'.[citation needed]
There are various recommendations on the choice of accompanying beverage: some say white wine, others specify black tea. Some drink spirits during or after the meal, which supposedly helps digestion. Indeed, alcohol may provide short-term relief, but overall, it delays gastric emptying and prolongs perceived fullness.[37] The delayed, strong feeling of fullness after eating fondue may be caused by phase separation in the stomach, the cheese fat initially floating in the stomach not being released into theduodenum, delaying fat sensing and satiation.[27]
Fondue has with some justification been described as the national dish of Switzerland and has become an essential feature of winter-sport holidays even beyond this country's borders.
Traditionally, fondue is made with Emmentaler, a very mild Swiss cheese, and Gruyère, a very pungent Swiss cheese.
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