Two main dishes featuring cheese in melted form top the country’s ‘to eat’ list – fondue and raclette. 

 

By ALEXIS MUNIER

Here in the Saanenland, cows head to the hills, literally, to take advantage of sweet alpine herbs, grasses, and flowers in the summertime. Often produced using ancient methods in a giant copper kettle, Alpkäse is a firm, strong cheese which takes on an intensely earthy flavor. When aged for several years, the cheese is known as Hobelkäse. In the Berner Oberland, Höbelkäse is crumbly and sharp – it’s always served in thinly shaved slices or larger crumbles.

 

Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands

After a day on the slopes, hungry skiers can be found gathered around a swirling pot of Switzerland’s famous fondue. Whether a mix of Gruyère and Vacherin (known as moitié-moitié) or the less pungent mix of several hard cheeses, fondue is a countrywide staple. 

While locals do tend to eat it only in winter, tourists partake all-year round. But when freezing temperatures set in, this blend of melted cheese, white wine, kirsch, corn starch and garlic is one of the best ways to warm up.

 

Just Scraping By

If you like fondue but it doesn't like you, try a portion of raclette instead. Originally hailing from France’s Haute-Savoie region, the dish consists of a half wheel of cheese heated then scraped piping hot onto boiled potatoes. 

Each region has its preferred accompaniments; here in Gstaad you’ll most likely find it eaten with pickled cucumbers, onions, and a selection of dried meats. Supposedly the vinegar-soaked vegetables cut through the grease, helping you digest this calorie bomb. As opposed to fondue, order raclette and at least you’ll be sure to get your daily vegetable intake.

 

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Swiss Cheese Awards

Once again, the Gstaad region has been honoured for its wealth of excellent dairy products. 

At the ninth annual Swiss Cheese Awards in Rapperswil, entries were evaluated by a large panel of more than 100 judges from the dairy and catering industries, as well as media representatives and consumers. No fewer than four local offerings from Schonried Molkerei and Gstaad Molkerei were selected for distinction amongst over 800 products in 28 categories. 

Bruno Buchs cleaned up in the soft cheeses, with his “Délice de Schönried” placing second. But Buchs’ luck didn’t end there–his 100% goat cheese took seventh place in the very same category. In the semi-hard category, Erhard Kohli’s herb-encrusted Gstaader Alpkäse garnered a respectable seventh place, with his plain version just making the cut at nineteenth place.