The word ‘fondue’ is French. It comes from the past particle of the verb fondre, which means to melt. The food fondue is Swiss but comes from an area in Switzerland where they speak French. The first fondue recipe dates back to 1699 and was a mixture of cheese and wine, that you dipped bread in. Fondue Bourguignonne (Broth Fondue) was presented at a Swiss restaurant in New York City in 1956, and in the mid-1960s, they added the chocolate version to their menu.