#swiss-cuisine

#swiss-cuisine

Derived from the French word meaning "to melt," fondue is one of Swiss cuisine's greatest joys. The warm, comforting dish is most often made with white wine and traditional fondue cheeses, such as Emmenthal, Gruyère, Vacherin Fribourgeois, and Appenzeller cheese. Spear a cube of bread or a boiled potato, then swivel your long metal fork into the bubbling pot of goodness. Called a caquelon, the vessel continues to emit heat while you dine, keeping the mixture melted.

During a 2016 appearance on Conan O'Brien's talk show, "Conan," the late-night host asked, "You've been just about everywhere ... you won't go to Switzerland. Why?" Bourdain responded that he has a "morbid fear" of just about anything Swiss, "even the cheese." When asked to expand on this fear, Bourdain jokingly suggested that it might stem from a "terrible childhood experience while watching 'The Sound of Music' that [he] blocked out."

The best cheese to use is gruyere or emmentaler. For a budget option, alpine-style cheeses like fontina or gouda are great alternatives. Avoid pre-shredded cheese.