Posted by Garrott Kuzzy, Lumi Experiences on Oct 24th 2024
From Switzerland to France: Tasting Traditional Alpine Fondues Trailside
Greetings from Innsbruck, Austria where the larches are turning gold and the peaks of the Nordkette range are already white with snow; small reminders that ski season is just around the corner. Here in western Austria, Switzerland is just a short train ride away, where fondue season is coming up too. This March, skiers on Lumi’s Seefeld & Engadin trip will travel from Seefeld, a popular ski area outside of Innsbruck, across the Swiss border to the Engadin Valley in Switzerland, where fondue has been a winter staple cuisine for centuries.
Dairy farmers in the Alpine-cheese producing areas of Switzerland (which is pretty much everywhere) have sustained themselves with this hearty dish during the long, cold winters in the mountains. In summer, fresh milk produced by dairy cows grazing high in the pastures of the Swiss Alps is preserved into cheeses like Gruyére. In winter, these Alpine cheeses are traditionally enjoyed in the form of fondue. It’s no surprise that a Lumi guest favorite in the Engadin Valley — a winter wonderland surrounded by Swiss Alps — is Fondue Suisse, Swiss-style fondue made with Gruyére and Emmental cheeses from the surrounding region.
Although fondue’s origins are Swiss, it eventually made its way across the border into Savoie, France where it became a cherished comfort food to gather around in the colder seasons in the French Alps too. Known for producing their own local alpine cheeses in the Savoie region, Fondue Savoyarde (French-style) is typically made with Comté instead of Swiss Gruyère or Emmental cheeses. Interestingly, the word “fondue” actually comes from the French verb fondre meaning ‘to melt’.
Just north of the Savoie, skiers on Lumi’s French-Jura trip to Les Rousses, France will get to taste fondue varieties special to the Jura region, which straddles the Swiss border and has a rich agricultural history of Comté and Mont d’Or cheese production. During a visit to a nearby Comté cheese fortress, Lumi guests get to see how this special cheese is made and aged. They also have the chance to taste another Jura specialty: Fondue au Mont d'Or, where this incredibly creamy cheese is baked in its own wooden box and served melted with a splash of dry white wine – also produced in the Jura, a little garlic and bread for dipping. Lumi trip leader Clement spends his time in the fall strolling through the woods in search of the perfect spruce bark to use for his personal Mont d’Or cheese boxes, giving the cheese a distinctive spruce flavor.
In Switzerland or France, fondue is a social meal enjoyed together by friends and family around a shared fondue pot, called a caquelon. Both cultures have their own fun traditions around the communal nature of the meal. In Switzerland, you’ll be buying the next round of drinks if the bread you’re dipping falls into the melted cheese. In France, you may owe a kiss to the person across from you.
If you’re getting excited for the ski season ahead like me, would you also like to enjoy a cozy fondue meal with friends at a trailside restaurant? Skiing and fondue are both possible on Lumi’s France-Transju trip (almost sold out, only 1 room available) and Seefeld & Engadin trip, plus we already have reservations at our favorite fondue spots! Bookings for these trips will close soon. Reach out by Friday, November 1 to see an itinerary and save your spot: info@lumiexperiences.com.
Alternatively, if you’d like to sample a taste of the Jura and Engadin regions from home, here is a New York Times recipe to make Swiss fondue with Gruyère and Emmental cheeses for friends and family at home:
Ingredients:
- 1 small garlic clove, halved
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¾ pound Gruyère cheese, grated
- ¾ pound Emmenthaler, raclette or Appenzeller cheese, grated
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 to 2tablespoons kirsch (optional)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (optional)
- Crusty bread cubes; steamed broccoli or cauliflower; carrot, celery or fennel sticks; cubed apple; seedless grapes; clementine sections; cubed salami, soppressata or kielbasa; roasted chestnuts and/or dried apricots, for serving.
Preparation:
Step 1: Rub cut side of garlic on inside of large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, preferably cast iron, rubbing the bottom and halfway up the sides. Add wine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss cheeses with cornstarch. Add a handful at a time to simmering wine, stirring until first handful melts before adding next. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until cheese is completely melted. Add kirsch, if using, and heat until bubbling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, if desired. Serve with crusty bread and other accompaniments. See full recipe for variations with different ingredients.
See you on the trail,
Garrott Kuzzy