High Country Cheese Fondue
- Annemarie Bolduc
- Jul 28, 2020
- 2 min read
How I adapted a traditional Alpine cheese fondue using Australian cheeses, cool-climate wines and Snowy Mountains flavours.
Even though the word fondue simply means "melted", cheese fondue is much more than melted cheese. Originating in the Swiss and French Alps, this mountain dish traditionally combines Alpine cheeses with white wine to create a rich, communal meal shared around the table. Fondue became especially popular in North America during the 1950s, and I was introduced to it at a young age. As someone who has always loved cheese, it quickly became a favourite.
Alpine cheese fondue as entrée • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018
Growing up in Québec, finding fondue was easy. Supermarkets sold ready-made cheese blends that only required the addition of wine. After moving to Australia, however, those convenient mixes were nowhere to be found, so I learned to make fondue from scratch. Fortunately, the process is much simpler than it seems. The biggest challenge is selecting the right cheeses. Gruyère remains the essential cheese for a traditional Swiss-style fondue, and today excellent versions are even produced in Tasmania. Other good choices available in Australia include Emmental, Comté, Maasdam and Jarlsberg.
Swiss-style cheese fondue with truffle • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021
Living in the Snowy Mountains region has inspired my own local variation. While our area is not known for cheese production, we are fortunate to have access to excellent cool-climate wines from nearby Tumbarumba, an important ingredient in any successful fondue. For an Australian High Country twist, I like to experiment with ingredients such as mountain pepper, roasted hazelnuts, rosemary and wild mushrooms. And if you happen to get your hands on a fresh local truffle, don't hesitate to shave some into the pot. Truffle, cheese and wine have always been excellent companions.
RECIPE
An Alpine cheese fondue recipe is featured in my cookbook Québec Kitchen Abroad.
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