Fond of fondue? Know how it came into being
Apart from chocolates, wrist watches and snow-laden landscapes, what else is Switzerland famous for? Well, no prize for guessing. The answer is fondue. If you’ve tasted it, you would know that it is a melting pot of aged cheese, wine or brandy and herbs. Served in a pot over a portable stove, this dish can be sweet or savoury. Several foods like bread sticks can be dunked into it and relished. Interestingly, the name 'fondue' has its roots in the French word ‘fondre’, which translates into 'to melt'. The origin of this lip-smacking Swish dish is as interesting as the food is.
Did it originate in ancient Greece?
One school of thought suggests that this dish, which is popular as a Swiss delicacy, originated in Greece. Why? Turns out, in ancient Greek poet Homer’s epic poem Iliad the first ever mention of something like fondue can be found. Here, Homer talks about this dish as a well-loved Greek dessert that is a mixture of goat’s cheese, wine and flour, all boiled together to form a lump-like food. In fact, it says that dessert was a go-to treat for Greek heroes following their victories in wars and the likes.
Born in the hands of Swiss peasants
Fast forward to the 17th century AD, a famous Swiss cookbook named Kcohbuch der Anna Margeretha Gessner (“Cooking with Wine and Melted Cheese”) made note of boiling grated cheese in wine and called it fondue. It also highlighted that the Swiss peasants pioneered the dish as a way to reuse leftover bread and aged cheese in colder months when fresh produce was scarce. But what did they do to make it edible and tasty? They would take a bread, turn it into a thick cube, put melted cheese (aged) on top and leave it to boil in wine for a few seconds.
Making of the modern fondue
In the late 1800s, near the Geneva border, along the French Rhones-Alps region, a dish was made in open flame with molten cheese, eggs and cheap white wine. The process was almost identical to making marshmallows in campfire as this too was done by young men and women who went for picnics and wanted to experiment with their own food. This became the modern version of fondue and it is still made in a similar way.
Fondue becomes the national food of Switzerland
Around 1930, the Swiss Cheese Union, worried that the French might steal their signature dish declared fondue as the country’s national dish. They even started to export it as one of their own valuable edibles. Interestingly, even though the French very much enjoyed the dish and kept making their own versions, never really claimed the credit for its origin.
Versions of fondue
There are certain variations of fondue available across Switzerland. For instance, in the French-speaking regions, it has a half and half consistency – one half is made with gruyere (hard and nutty Swiss cheese) and the rest with vacherin (firm cow milk cheese). Another popular kind of fondue is when these two cheeses are also blended with garlic, white wine, kirsch (a Swiss brandy) and cherry brandy. This dish is usually served during special occasions in an earthen pot called “caquelon” and is served in an open flame to ensure that the mixture is constantly bubbling. Locals prefer pairing fondue with either hot tea or cold white wine.