It's a meal that calls for patience, long hours of good conversation and quaffing a couple of bottles of decent wine with equally good company. And they're coming back in popularity, particularly in the downtown urban area, where a marked increase in fondue sales has been noted. It's interesting, that in Quebec, they've never gone out of style, which may reflect the European influence of fondue. But everywhere else, they're really coming back into vogue.
Research shows fondue originated in Switzerland as a way of using up leftover pieces of cheese.
Sometimes brandy was added to the melted mixture, which become a dip for pieces of stale bread and crusts. But this eclectic meal really hit its heyday in 1956, when chef Konrad Egli of New York's Chalet Swiss Restaurant introduced a fondue method of cooking meat cubes in hot oil. Chocolate fondue followed. Interest in fondue cooking petered somewhat in the 1980s and '90s, but a resurgence in casual dining has brought this beloved dining institution back full circle. So, spear yourself a favourite food, sit back with family and friends, and bring on the fondue memories.