Several Swiss or French communal dishes shared at the table in an earthenware pot ("caquelon") over a small burner ("réchaud") are called fondue. The most famous fondue dish in the western world is cheese fondue, while in Asia, hot pots (broth fondue) are more common.

Contents

1 Types of Fondues 1.1 Cheese Fondue 1.2 Fondue Bourguignonne (deep-fat fondue) 1.3 Fondue Chinoise (hot pot, shabu shabu, broth fondue) 1.4 Dessert Fondue 2 History 3 Etiquette

Types of Fondues

Cheese Fondue

The most common traditional cheese fondue — fondue Neuchateloise — is a blend of Gruyère and Emmental cheeses, Kirschwasser, white wine, and a dash of nutmeg, cooked in a caquelon rubbed with a cut garlic clove. (A small amount of corn starch or flour is added to prevent separation.) Cubed crusty bread is dipped using a fondue fork.

Many other varieties of cheese fondue exist, each with a unique name and different blend of cheeses, wine and seasoning, depending on where it is made. Fondue receipes are rarely fixed and depends on the cook. For example, you will find several different variation of the fondue neuchâteloise, with different cheese proportion, or completely different cheese blends. Gruyère, however, is always used for this receipe, as is Vacherin for the fondue fribourgeoise. In some cheese fondues potatoes or fruit are served instead of bread.

In a perfect cheese fondue, the mixture is held at a temperature low enough to prevent burning, but hot enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid. Ideally, when the fondue is finished, there will be a thin crust of toasted (but not burnt) cheese in the bottom of the caquelon.

While cheese fondue is a traditionally Swiss dish, its name coming from the French 'fondre' ("to melt"), it was not a common dish until the 1950's, when the slowing cheese industry in Switzerland needed a way to increase sales. Fondue was a perfect solution, permitting a diner to consume a half-pound of cheese in one sitting.

In 1955, the first instant fondue was brought on the market. Modern instant fondues are surprisingly accurate renditions of the homemade product, requiring little more than to be melted in the caquelon just before serving.

Fondue Bourguignonne (deep-fat fondue)

In fondue Bourguignonne, small cubes of meat (normally beef) and sometimes vegetables or seafood are skewered on the fondue fork and fried by each person at the table. An assortment of sauces are provided for dipping. (Some fondue restaurant chains also provide flavored batters to coat the food with before frying, but it is not traditional.)

Fondue Chinoise (hot pot, shabu shabu, broth fondue)

In a hot pot, the diner dips numerous ingredients into simmering broth. It can range from simply thinly sliced beef in shabu shabu to vegetables and variety meats in Chinese hot pot. Dipping sauces are served with it. Additionally, diners can cook noodles or rice porriages in it, and the broth can be eaten as well. Numerous type of broth from the traditional supreme stock to Szechuan extra hot broth are used. In Asia, sieves and chopsticks may be used instead of forks.

Dessert Fondue

More recently, in the 1960's, dessert fondue recipes have appeared, typically a caquelon of melted chocolate into which pieces of fruit or pastries are dipped.

History

Cheese fondue was invented out of necessity. In the remote and isolated mountain villages in the Swiss Alps people had to rely upon locally made food. During winter, fresh food became scarce. The Swiss found that melting stale cheese made it edible. Local wines and seasonings were added and even the dry and hard bread tasted delicious after it was swirled in the creamy melted cheese.

In Asia, the culture of hot pot was evolved from the traditional one-pot meal. As the hot pot was constantly kept warm above a heat source, it can easily induce sensation of warmth during winter times. Furthermore, it was commonly eaten during winter family gatherings.

Etiquette

As with other communal dishes, fondue has etiquette standards ranging from practical to amusing. With cheese fondue it is considered rude to allow one's lips or tongue to touch the fondue fork. With meat fondues one should use a dinner fork to remove the meat from the fondue fork. If the bread or fruit is lost in the cheese, it is tradition for that person to buy a round of drinks.

However, in traditional Chinese Hot Pot, it is customary to use one's own chopstick and spoon to cook and eat, and requests for a separate utensil can be seen as distrust and are thus frowned upon. Sieves are provided, but merely for ease of picking up cooked food.