lready a storied tradition in Switzerland,
fondue famously burst onto the scene
in the United States in the ;;;;s and
’;;s, when modish fondue pots, with
their slender, two-tined forks and miniature
burners, became the quintessential American
wedding gift. While that may de;ne fondue in
modern memory, the communal art of leaning
over a warm pot of melted cheese and wine,
dipping in bread, vegetables and fruit, grew
from the peasant traditions of Neuchâtel, a
French-speaking canton in western Switzerland.
Fondue, from the French word fondre (“to
melt”), was ;rst a means of feeding families a
thrifty winter meal, melting scraps of beloved
local cheeses like Gruyère and Emmenthal to
make a dip for richly bathing hunks of bread.
AIn recent years, fondue has branched out and is making another quiet resurgence. “There is a whole world of fondue that goes
way beyond cheese,” writes Hallie Harron, a
Costco member and author of the cookbook
Not Your Mother’s Fondue (Harvard Common
Press, ;;;;; not available at Costco). “There
are ;ve basic categories of fondue: cheese,
sauce, oil, broth and dessert.” The in;uences
on this social dish are global: Broth fondues
are a nod to Mongolian hot pots, and chocolate
fondue is thought to be an American invention.
For cheese fondues, cubes of bread, boiled
potatoes and apple slices are common accompaniments. All manner of modern sauces,
from marinara and hummus to peanut sauce
and warm crab dip, can be placed in the center
of a table for communal dipping, for a sauce
fondue. Bite-size pieces of raw meat and ;sh,
and quick-cook vegetables like sliced carrots,
celery and mushrooms, are ideal for broth
or oil fondues. Cookies, fruit and cake
complement chocolate-based dessert fondues.
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Fondue fun
A favorite communal Swiss
dish returns to the table
by LIZ PEARSON
COSTCO
CONNECTION
Fondue foods can be
found at Costco and
on Costco.com.
