Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe | MasalaHerb.com (2024)

I LOVE Cheese Fondue, I always have and that for a good reason.

You get to dip your bread into a melting concoction of cheese and that too as many times you want (and crave!)

Turn this fondue into the ultimate dinner party meal to enjoy with your family and friends this holiday season.

📕 What is a Fondue?

A fondue is cheese melted in a large pot placed at the center of the table.

The heat of the pot is controlled with a portable stove so that the cheese stays the same consistency, perfectly cheesy and melted.

The word fondue comes from the French word fondre, which means to melt.

The cheese fondue is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear fondue, yet there is also the meat fondue and chocolate fondue but that's a whole different story.

A fondue is meant to be enjoyed at a special occasion such as Christmas or New Year with a small group of family or friends.

🇨🇭 Origins

The fondue with cheese is the national dish of Switzerland.

The best fondue I ever had was in Lausanne at the Geneva lake while looking at the town of Vichy on the other side of the lake in France.

The cheese is superior in Switzerland and variations of cheese fondues exist across the country.

White wine is another very important inclusion which shapes the emulsion and base flavors of your beautiful melting cheese pot.

So-called Fondue Stuben (closed rooms just for a fondue party) are commonplace in well-known hotel establishments in the Swiss, Austrian and German alps.

The highlight of any Switzerland trip is to experience an authentic cheese fondue with a beautiful view.

The insider tip here is to reserve a spot with a view to the Zermatt mountain while dipping your crispy bread into pure cheese heaven.

🧀 Choice of cheese

Use a cheese that will melt and combine easily.

In Switzerland, cheese such as Gruyere and Emmental are commonly used.

I personally try to use only gruyere and emmental together because I think they make for the best combination in regards to flavor and consistency.

I have seen them adding Raclette cheese and other regional mountain cheese varieties.

You have the option of using cheddar cheese too.

Choose if you want to use 2 cheese varieties or one only. I always recommend two for the best experience.

🍷 Choice of wine

Pick a white wine that has the flavor to enrich your melted cheese experience

Don't ever use cheap cooking wine, because those are subpar quality and they will destroy your fondue.

I like to taste fruity white wine in my cheese fondue.

I'm happy with a riesling too but this is a very personal choice.

🔪 How to make it?

Making cheese fondue is actually easy.

Here is a preview on how to make cheese fondue from scratch.

Find the detailed ingredients and instructions, with the how-to video, at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Step 1

Season the pot with garlic by rubbing the garlic into the surface.

Heat up the stove and place the large fondue pot over the heat.

Step 2

Place cheese with white wine, cherry brandy, cornflour and seasoning into the pot and mix.

Allow the cheese to melt by stirring at times with a wooden spoon.

Control the heat.

Step 3

When cheese fondue has melted, you get to dip in your bread.

Stick a piece of bread on your elongated fondue fork and dip into the fondue.

Control the heat at all times, the cheese should melt but not burn.

Repeat and enjoy.

💡 Dipper ideas

Bread is the universal dipper option at a classic swiss cheese fondue party.

Use hard bread because you don't want the bread to fall off the forks with the beautiful heavy soaked cheesiness.

We like to use baguette bread and sometimes cooked potato pieces.

A progressive cheese fondue evening can include fresh fruits such as apple and pear as a dipping idea.

Or you can use crackers or vegetable dippers too, just the way I did in my baked brie with fig jam.

Meat steak pieces can be used too but I think that's too much of the good.

🥣 Serving

We love a simple green salad at the side while we dip in our bread.

You can also serve side dishes like roasted brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips.

Another common serving addition that I saw in Switzerland is pickled cucumber, onions, tomatoes, and olives.

Tip: You can serve up white wine to drink.

📜 What to serve after your cheese fondue?

Let's face it, a cheese fondue is a heavy meal for the stomach.

To balance out the fullness in your and your guests stomachs, I recommend serving up light desserts with fruits.

A simple fruit salad with mint is, for example, a good idea!

I also recommend a glass of clear high percentage Schnapps to help digest the cheese in your stomach.

I like a good Willi Schnapps (pear) to balance the flavors.

🧰 Equipment

You will need a cheese fondue pot with a portable gas or electric stove.

And you will need the elongated forks.

You can get a swiss fondue set with the cauldron made of ceramic.

Keep in mind that a cheese fondue set is not the same as meat fondue or a chocolate fondue set. There is one for each.

The cheese fondue pot is large and I think the better ones are made of ceramic.

Make sure that the forks have a color distinction because people tend to get a bit tipsy drinking white wine while eating cheese fondue and people confuse their forks. lol

💭 FAQs

📖 Recipe