Swiss fondue is not so much a dish as it is a way of eating. Today, Swiss fondue is available on every table, and it was once the privilege of wealthy houses.
Fondue is the only truly national dish in Switzerland, and has been in existence for seven centuries. It is believed that the tradition of dipping pieces of food in melted cheese originated in the Swiss Alps, where shepherds grazed sheep. Leaving for a long time in the meadows, the shepherds took cheese, bread and wine with them. For several days, the products stale and fizzled out – and the idea arose to heat pieces of cheese on a night fire, diluting them with wine, and only then dip old bread in the resulting nourishing appetizing mass. Earthenware or cast iron dishes were used to prevent the cheese from burning, they were stirred with a wooden spatula. No one would have thought that fondue (from the French term “melt”) would become a whole ritual, culture and tradition in the future!
Gradually, the shepherds’ dish spread among the common people and ended up on the tables of the servants. You can’t hide an awl in a sack – the owners noticed with what appetite the peasants were eating melted cheese, and wished to see the dish on their table. Of course, for aristocrats, noble expensive varieties of cheeses and wines were used in fondue, and various types of fresh pastries were dipped into the cheese mass, gradually expanding the range of snacks.
At first, fondue did not go beyond the borders of Switzerland until it was enjoyed by visiting guests from Austria, Italy, Germany and France. The guests gradually began to deliver the idea to their regions, where local chefs modified the recipes and brought their delicious ideas to their development. It was the French name that stuck to the fondue dish, like most of the recipes that later became popular.
In Italy at this time, fondue turned into fonduta and banya cauda. For fondouts, egg yolks were added to the mixture of local cheeses that this country is rich in, and pieces of seafood, mushrooms and poultry were used as snacks. For the hot base of the banya cauda, butter and olive oil, garlic, anchovies were used, and pieces of vegetables were dipped in the resulting sauce.
В Holland there is also a kind of fondue called kaasdup.
В China in those days, a dish consisting of strips of meat boiled in broth was served. Such a Chinese fondue was brought to the Far East by the Mongols in the XIV century. This nation has long boiled raw foods in boiling broth immediately before serving. Instead of Mongolian lamb, the Chinese began to use pickled chicken, dumplings and vegetables. The hot meal is accompanied by fresh vegetables and sauces made from soy, ginger and sesame oil.
French fondue is made from boiling vegetable oil. Burgundian monks invented this cooking method out of a keen desire to keep warm in the cold season, without spending a lot of time and energy on cooking. The dish was called “fondue bourguignon” or simply burgundy fondue. It was served with wine, warm crispy bread, a side dish of potatoes and a snack made from fresh vegetables – sweet peppers, tomatoes, red onions, celery, basil and fennel.
During the French Revolution, fondue reached a new level of popularity. Jean Anselm Brija-Savarin, a famous Frenchman, spent several years in the United States, where he earned his living by playing the violin and learning French. He remained true to the culinary traditions of his country, and it was he who introduced Americans to the cheese fondue fondue au fromage. The classic cheese menu is called Neuchâtel fondue.
Already in the 60s and 70s, there were so many varieties of fondue that the Swiss recipe was lost among the variety of recipes.
Burgundy fondue appeared on the menu of the New York restaurant “Swiss Chalet” in 1956. In 1964, its chef Konrad Egli prepared and served a chocolate fondue (Toblerone fondue) that has won the hearts of all sweet tooths in the world. Pieces of ripe fruits and berries, as well as sweet pieces of biscuit were dipped into the melted chocolate. Today, there is a sweet fondue with hot caramel, coconut sauce, sweet liqueurs, and many other varieties. Sweet fondue is usually accompanied by sweet sparkling wines and all kinds of liqueurs.
In the 90s, healthy food became a priority, and fondue, as a high-calorie dish, began to lose ground. But even today, in cold winters, it is still customary to gather at a large table and spend time at leisurely conversations in pleasant company, eating hot fondue.
Interesting Fondue Facts
– Homer’s Iliad describes a recipe for a dish very similar to fondue: goat cheese, wine and flour had to be boiled over an open fire.
– The first written mention of Swiss fondue dates back to 1699. In Anna Margarita Gessner’s cookbook, fondue is referred to as “cheese and wine.”
– Jean-Jacques Rousseau was very fond of fondue, which he repeatedly admitted in correspondence with his friends, nostalgic for pleasant gatherings over a hot dish.
– In 1914, the demand for cheese fell in Switzerland, and therefore the idea arose to sell cheese for fondue. Thus, the popularity of the dish has increased several times.