Fondue

Fondue(UK:/ˈfɒndjuː/FON-dew,US:/fɒnˈdjuː/fon-DEW,French:[fɔ̃dy],Swiss Standard German:[fɔ̃ːˈdyː];Italian:fonduta) is aSwissdish of meltedcheeseandwineserved in a communal pot (caquelonor fondue pot) over aportable stove(réchaud) heated with a candle orspirit lamp, and eaten by dippingbreadand sometimesvegetablesor other foods into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted as a Swissnational dishby theSwiss Cheese Union(Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s, and was popularized in North America in the 1960s.
Since the 1950s, the term "fondue" has beengeneralized to other dishesin which a food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept hot in a fondue pot: chocolate fondue,fondue au chocolat, in which pieces of fruit or pastryare dipped into a melted chocolate mixture, andfondue bourguignonne, in which pieces of meat are cooked in hot oil orbroth.
The wordfondueis the femininepassive past participle, used as a noun, of the French verbfondre'to melt', and thus means 'melted'.It is first attested in French in 1735, inVincent La Chapelle'sCuisinier moderne,and in English in 1878.
The earliest known recipe for the modern form of cheese fondue comes from a 1699 book published inZürich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" 'to cook cheese with wine'.It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it.
However, thename"cheese fondue", until the late 19th century, referred to a dish composed of eggs and cheese, as in la Chapelle's 1735Fonduë de Fromage, aux Truffes Fraiches;it was something betweenscrambled eggswith cheese and a cheesesoufflé.Brillat-Savarinwrote in 1834 that it is "nothing other than scrambled eggs with cheese".Variations included cream ("à la genevoise") and truffles ("à la piémontaise") in addition to eggs, as well as what is now called "raclette" ("fondue valaisanne").
The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue under that name, with cheese and wine but no eggs, was published in 1875, and was already presented as a Swissnational dish.Despite its modern associations with rustic mountain life, it was a town-dweller's dish from the lowlands of western,French-speaking, Switzerland: rich cheese like Gruyère was a valuableexport itemwhich peasants could not afford to eat.
With the introduction ofcorn starchto Switzerland in 1905, it became easier to make a smooth and stableemulsionof the wine and cheese, and this probably helped contribute to the success of fondue.
Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by theSwiss Cheese Union(Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption. The Swiss Cheese Union also created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defence of Switzerland".AfterWorld War IIrationing ended, the Swiss Cheese Union continued its marketing campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organizers across Switzerland. Fondue is now a symbol of Swiss unity.Fondue is also often associated with mountains and winter sports.
In the meantime, fondue continued to be promoted aggressively in Switzerland, with slogans like "La fondue crée la bonne humeur" 'fondue creates a good mood' and (1981, inSwiss German) "Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune" 'fondue is good and creates a good mood' – abbreviated as "figugegl".
Fondue was promoted to Americans at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant at the1964 New York World's Fair.
Fondue was popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, along with other foods made inchafing dishes.
The extension of the name "fondue" to other dishes served in a communal hot pot dates to 1950s New York. Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur, introducedfondue bourguignonneat his Chalet Suisse restaurant in 1956. In the mid-1960s, he invented chocolate fondue as part of apromotionforTobleronechocolate.
Cheese fondue consists of a blend of cheeses, wine, and seasoning, although there are many variations, such as using beer rather than wine.Traditionally, thecaquelonis rubbed with a cutgarlicclove,white wineis added and heated with cornstarch, and then grated cheese is added and gently stirred until melted, although in practice all the ingredients can be combined and heated together at once. Somekirschis often added. Fondue is very easy to prepare, even in large quantities.Thecornstarchor other starch stabilizes and thickens the mixture. Additional wine may be added if the fondue is too thick; itsacidandethanoldecrease the fondue'sviscosity.  A fondue can curdle if the protein separates from the fat, which is usually the result of not enough liquid in the mixture and an insufficiently acid mixture, so lemon juice is sometimes added.
A cheese fondue mixture should be kept warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot that it burns. If this temperature is held until the fondue is finished there will be a thin crust of toasted (not burnt) cheese at the bottom of thecaquelon. This is calledla religieuse(French forthe nun). It has the texture of a cracker and is almost always lifted out and eaten.
The regional names used for some of these variants arefactitious, and do not reflect genuine regional traditions.
Refrigerated fondue blends are sold in most Swiss supermarkets asconvenience foodand need little more than melting in the caquelon. Individual portions heatable in amicrowave ovenare also sold.
Fondue is eaten by spearing a piece of bread on a fork, swirling it in the pot, and putting it into the mouth.Some writers recommend that the dipping fork be used only to transport the food from the pot to one's plate, not to eat from.
Losing a piece of bread in the caquelon is said to be penalized by buying a round of drinks, singing a song, or running around in the snow naked.This is parodied inAsterix in Switzerland, where a character is sentenced to be drowned inLake Genevaafter losing his third piece of bread.Other fondue etiquette rules include 'always stirring in a figure of 8', 'not scratching the bottom of the caquelon with a fork that has no side on it' and 'adding an egg andkirschschnapps to the caquelon when the cheese is almost finished'.
There are various recommendations on the choice of accompanying beverage: some say white wine, others specify black tea. Some drink spirits during or after the meal, which supposedly helps digestion. Indeed, alcohol may provide short-term relief, but overall, it delays gastric emptying and prolongs perceived fullness.The delayed, strong feeling of fullness after eating fondue may be caused by phase separation in the stomach, the cheese fat initially floating in the stomach not being released into theduodenum, delaying fat sensing and satiation.