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Cheers for cheese and wine
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A swirl of melted cheese and wine is what Swiss fondue is all about. One can dip in cherry tomatoes, grapes, carrot, meat and what not, says SUMITRA SENAPATY, thoroughly impressed with the community eating experience now being offered at New Delhi's Intercontinental Parkroyal.
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A Swiss delight in full bloom.
DIP IN at the Blooms for a special occasion. They have a Fondue Festival going and the best way to go is with the classical Swiss cheese fondue, dip-ables being a basket of moderately hard bread, potatoes, shallots, gherkins and some fine wine. One thing to remember is that cheese fondue is only as good as the cheese used. One of the best cheeses you can find is Gruyère cheese, named after a valley in Switzerland - the country where `fondue' originated. And when it comes to food, Swiss sensations like cheese and chocolate have been pleasing the global palate for generations - sophisticated culinary ambrosia now offered at the Intercontinental Parkroyal.
But what exactly is `fondue'? Fondue is derived from the French word `fondre ' - meaning `to melt'. According to legend a 16th Century siege of Zurich forced citizens to forage for food among whatever was available. It was their good luck to have to rely on wine, cheese and bread - and the creative result was fondue! There is yet another story that does the rounds, particularly at après ski cafés. During the middle ages, in the dead of winter, a band of Swiss soldiers gathered around a campfire high in the Alps. They were hungry and tired, but there was not much to eat. One of them suggested melting cheese over fire and mixing it with wine to make it go further. At this point someone announced that the melted stuff is good! And fondue has been around ever since. No matter which story is more authentic, one thing is certain - fondue is Switzerland's famous dunk-and-dine dish, great to savour during the winters.
Fondue generally begins with heating white wine until it reaches the boiling point. The heat is reduced and the cheese gently stirred in until it melts. Most restaurants prepare the fondue in a pan on the stove and then transfer it to a fondue pot to stay warm while the guest is savouring it. If it begins to get too thick while everyone is still busy eating, more wine is added, the heat is turned up and the fondue is vigorously stirred till it smoothens out. At Blooms, the Classic Swiss Fondue is a combination of Emmenthaler and Gruyère cheeses, flavoured with Kirsch. Other variations include Porcini with Brie and Caramelized Shallots with Gruyère. Fondue can be flavoured with combinations of different cheeses, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, herbs and mustard. One can dip just about anything into the fondue. Besides a selection of breads, one can dip in cherry tomatoes, grapes, chunks of celery and carrot, air dried slivers of meat, lightly steamed broccoli, asparagus, apple and pear wedges, or any other vegetable or fruit that tastes good with cheese.
The taste of fondue is strong - what is enjoyable is the taste, texture and sheer cholesterol. Delicious and simple to make, but could give you a shorter life if eaten too often! Fondue is the ultimate `slow food' and is probably one of the last forms of communal eating. It is a shared experience, actually something that can't be rushed, a time set aside to enjoy food, relax and chill with friends. The piece de resistance is of course the dessert. It is certainly a salivating happening - a swirl of milk and dark chocolates and liqueurs. A pan of melted chocolate on the table with cut strawberries and walnut brownies! Apart from being irresistible, it is loads of fun to dip into gooey mouth-watering chocolate! For a chocolate lover, this is nirvan.
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