A Fondue Swisstory

Switzerland's gift to the world is a pot of melted goodness

- Leila El Shennawy

PICTURE THIS: HUDDLED with a group of friends and family members, you gather around a warm, bubbling pot of cheese fondue. You dip a chunk of crusty bread into the creamy mixture, swirling your fork to prepare your morsel to be devoured. Is your mouth watering yet?

Fondue comes from the French word fondre, meaning 'to melt! Cheese fondue is made with melted Gruyère, a firm, nutty cow's-milk cheese with a pungent aroma that originates in a medieval town of the same name. The cheese melts by simmering in a pot with garlic and dry white wine, for a hearty flavour. A traditional fondue might also use a half-and-half mix of Gruyère and another cheese, like Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller or raclette. Bread is traditional for dipping, but veggies like baby potatoes and broccoli, steak bites and pear slices are also common.