Cheese fondue: easy and quick preparation tips and ideas.

Do you love cheese? Then you're in the right place to discover everything you need to know about cheese fondue, a convivial dish typically enjoyed in winter that is highly appreciated by cheese lovers. Cheese fondue can be made with different types of cheese. Also known as “fondue”, it has its roots in France, Italy, and Switzerland. Usually, hard cheeses are soaked in milk before being melted into it. Discover with us the history of fondue, its characteristics, and how to prepare it.

Cheese Fondue: Origins of a Delicacy

Fondue, as we know it today, is a relatively young dish born in France: it dates back to around 1950. Previously, it was a Swiss specialty (it was mentioned as early as 1699); cheese was consumed in the Alpine region and only later spread to the rest of the population. In France, there are different types of fondue associated with the region it is prepared in, and they vary not only in the types of cheese used but also in the quantities utilized for the preparation. Italy also has its versions of fondue, found in Valle d'Aosta and Piemonte, which you will soon discover.

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Cheese Fondue: Country You Go, Fondue You Find

Fondue is a perfect dish to enjoy one evening with friends or during the holidays with family. Once prepared, it is served in the “caquelon”, a special pot made of cast iron or clay, placed at the center of the table, with a burner underneath to maintain a constant temperature.

Each diner is equipped with a long-handled fork with a colored dot for identification, with which they spear the food, usually bread, that will then be dipped into the caquelon containing the melted cheese.

One of the most appreciated fondues is the one prepared in the Franche-Comté region, with Mont d’Or, a cheese produced seasonally from August to March in the Jura region.

The Savoy fondue is also very good, which can be made with Gruyère, Comté, and Beaufort, raw milk cheeses with pressed paste.

Another highly sought-after type of fondue is the Ramequin, prepared in the canton of Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey. It takes its name from the Ramequin cheese, which is cut into very thin slices and first melted in butter, then mixed with water until it reaches its characteristic thick consistency.

Next, we have the Norman fondue, made with soft cheeses like Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque, and Livarot.

An alternative way to talk about cheese fondue is with Raclette, which is cheese kept in its original shape and heated on a burner in the center of the table. The diners will then scrape the surface of the cheese and spread it on their bread, each independently.

Among the other fondues prepared, there are also those made with goat's milk cheeses that have a particularly intense flavor.

In Italy, we have Valdostana fondue and Piedmontese fondue, also known as bagna cauda. Compared to the French and Swiss versions, the types and amounts of cheese used differ, which can be hard cheeses that are grated, such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, or soft cheeses that are cut into chunks and melted, like fontina and taleggio, to add a stretchy touch.

Often, additional ingredients are added to the cheese cream, both to enhance flavor and to achieve a denser or creamier consistency. Many add spices, from pepper to nutmeg, while others add truffle. And to thicken it, in Italy, some appreciate adding egg, while in Switzerland, they use starch.

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A little tip: to achieve a smoother consistency, you can add a bit of whole milk or cooking cream; in any case, mix well to obtain a thick and homogeneous cream.

Cheese Fondue: Here’s the Recipe from Spaghetti & Mandolino

The fondue we suggest is typically Italian, and these are the ingredients: 350 grams of Fontina, 4 egg yolks, 60 grams of butter, 500 ml of milk, salt, and white pepper to taste. Cut the cheese into pieces, place it in a bowl, and cover it with milk. Let it rest for at least 2 hours. Add the butter to a saucepan along with the cheese drained from the milk and cook it in a double boiler until you achieve a smooth and lump-free cream.

Now add the beaten egg yolks with salt and pepper and stir until everything is absorbed. Cook for a couple of minutes, and the cheese fondue is ready. To keep the fondue creamy, place the caquelon (the pot used for fondue) on a special iron structure with a candle lit underneath.

And finally, the indulgent touch: the fondue can be enriched with grated black truffle.

Francesco Scuderi