Celebrate National Cheese Fondue Day!

Do you like cheese? Do you like wine? Well, you’re in for a treat because April 11^th is National Cheese Fondue Day! A day to celebrate that delicious mixture of melted cheese and wine that goes amazingly well with bread, meat and veggies.

Fondue has been around for a long time; hundreds of years but the concept of melted cheese fondue itself only came to exist in 1875 when the original cheese fondue recipe was published. Originally there was a dish called “fondue” but it was more a pick-and-grab type meal of different foods like eggs and mushrooms mixed in. This dish was great but it posed a problem of the sauce always separating from the other food and in 1905 cornstarch was introduced to Switzerland, solving their problem.

Cheese fondue was created and what a yummy creation! Different types of bread, popular veggies like gherkin pickles, garlic cloves, olives, onions, and more are found most enjoyed by people. Fruits like grapes are enjoyed by those who prefer a lighter taste. In general, fondue is cooked stove-top and then poured into a heated fondue pot and served to the table where the fun begins. There are many different ways to enjoy fondue as well, one type of cheese may seem too rich or too thick, you can always add in your favourite cheeses.

Here is a fun fondue recipe to get you started, you can always customize and tweak it to your liking!

You’ll need: 

7 oz of Gruyere cheese, cut into cubes
7 oz of Sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
7 oz of Emmentaler cheese, cut into cubes
1 T Butter
1 T All-Purpose Flour (for thickening)
1 c White Wine

Directions:
Slowly bring the wine to a boil in a saucepan. In a seperate saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, mix in the flour and let them cook for 5 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning and sticking. Once the flour has been cooked through, stir in the wine and whip it until it’s smooth. Add in the cubes of cheese and stir them slowly until they are completely melted. Pour into a fondue pot and serve! Keep warm over low heat and enjoy!

Fun Fact: National Cheese Fondue Day is mostly recognized by Americans thanks to US restaurant chain “The Melting Pot”, as a good marketing promotion but many people still celebrate the food with family and friends right at home.