Fondue - Types Of Fondue And Restaurants That Serve It

Several years ago, I worked for a company that hadFondue Bourguignon, on the other hand, was a
a corporate office in Belgium, and some BelgianFrench creation. Born out of necessity, a medieval
employees came and visited our local office on amonk by the name of Johann du Putzxe came up
business trip. As I was chatting with one of them,with the idea. He worked in the vineyards of
the subject of fondue came up. I offhandedlyBurgundy and needed a convenient way to have
mentioned this favorite fondue restaurant of mine,lunch while he harvested the grapes. A pot filled with
and raved about the delicious chocolate fonduehot oil set nearby where he could dunk & cook tasty
dessert.morsels of meat while he worked was the solution.
Across his face came a look of incredulous horror. HeToday, there are several different kinds of fondue
had the same expression I must have had when Isets available on the market. There are burners that
saw spam sushi in Hawaii for the first time. For him,are heated by tea lights, butane, alcohol & electricity.
the only proper fondue was cheese fondue, and aFor cheese and chocolate fondue, a traditional pot
chocolate fondue was just a wrong, unnatural thing.called a caquelon is used. This is typically made from
Any notions of Americans being a savage, unculturedceramic or earthenware. An enameled iron or copper
and decadent people must have been confirmed inpot is used for Fondue Bourguignon.
his eyes.If you don't want to deal with the mess and hassle
Nevertheless, we have chocolate fondue, and I amof making fondue at home (the fondue pots can be
forever grateful for it. Specifically, we have Konraddifficult to clean after a meal), there are many
Egli to thank, a Swiss(!) chef who created it for Newrestaurants that specialize in fondue that you can go
York's Chalet Swiss restaurant in 1964. He had earlierto. My favorite, La Fondue in Saratoga, California, is
already started to popularize the more traditionalwhimsically decorated, with a romantic, slightly gothic
fondue through his restaurant by featuring both theambiance that looks like the kind of place La Cirque
cheese style and the method of cooking meat cubesdu Soleil would go to for lunch.
in hot oil (Fondue Bourguignon).Many styles of cheese fondue are available, such as
Well, with the introduction of the chocolate element,Mediterranean (cheddar, beer & sun-dried tomatoes)
the craze really took off. Fondue became a popularand Stinking Rose (Swiss, wine & garlic). For the
menu item at American dinner parties throughout theFondue Bourguignon, exotic meats such as wild boar
60's and 70's, and is starting to become popular again.and ostrich are offered, as well as tasty dipping
Fondue originally came from the mountains ofsauces.
Switzerland, where poverty-stricken peasants hadThe chocolate fondue, though, is to die for. Along
little to sustain them except for Gruyere cheese,with your choice of chocolate (milk, bittersweet or
bread loaves and lots of wine. Poor peasants. Makingwhite) and flavorings (Amaretto, Irish Cream and
do of these meager ingredients, they combined themothers), you can dunk in pieces of snicker bars,
to create what became the traditional fondue,marshmallows, strawberries, apples, bananas &
melting the hard cheese with the wine in a communalsponge cake.
earthenware pot, and taking turns dipping the breadBring a large appetite when you come here, so you
into the tasty mixture.have room for all the delectable courses.