Fondue

Fondue (UK: FON-dew, US: fon-DEW, French: [fɔ̃dy], Swiss Standard German: [fɔ̃ːˈdyː] ; Italian: fonduta) is a Swiss dish of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot (caquelon or fondue pot) over a portable stove (réchaud) heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread and sometimes vegetables or other foods into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. As a way to increase cheese consumption, it was promoted as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s.

Since the 1950s, the term "fondue" has been generalized to other dishes in which a food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept hot in a fondue pot.

Etymology

The word fondue is the feminine passive past participle, used as a noun, of the French verb fondre 'to melt', and thus means 'melted'. It is first attested in French in 1735, in Vincent La Chapelle's Cuisinier moderne, and in English in 1878.

History

Although fondue is widely recognized as a Swiss tradition, its dates and influences reflect a broader European exchange of ideas, especially involving melted cheese dishes made with varieties such as Raclette and Gruyère.

The term “fondue” appears in written sources that predate the first widely recognized recipe from 1699, suggesting that the practice itself existed long before it was formally recorded. In the Alpine regions of Switzerland, where harsh winters and geographic isolation limited access to fresh foods, communities relied heavily on preserved staples such as aged cheese and stale bread. Rather than letting these ingredients go to waste, people developed practical methods of making them more edible. By melting cheese and blending it with wine, they created a warm, flavorful dish that softened hardened bread and provided a source of calories during colder months.