Fond of Fondue
(Published on 04 September 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)
A Swiss friend of mine invited us over for dinner with a promise that she’d serve the best fondue we had ever had. While I fished out my stilletoes, and my Hermes silk scarf – I also brushed up my ‘fondue etiquettes.’
The term “fondue” comes from the French word ‘fondre’ which literally means to melt. Fondue refers to communal dishes shared at the table in an earthenware pot called ‘caquelon’ which is kept over a small burner called ‘rechaud’. Fondue is eaten by spearing small cubes of bread or other food items with a long fork, and then dipping it into the delicious mixture of molten cheese present in the fondue pot. Besides cubes of bread, one can also dip cooked chicken, ham, garlic sausage, roasted potatoes, asparagus spears, broccoli and cauliflower florets and peppers.
Fondue was actually invented out of necessity. Swiss villagers, who were separated from towns by long winters, had to rely on foods such as bread and cheese that were made in the summer. Stale cheese becomes very hard. However, if cheese was heated over a fire it tasted better and was much easier to eat. Bread in turn would soften when it was dipped into the cheese. Soon wine and other seasonings were being mixed to turn old cheese and bread into a delectable meal. As with etiquettes connected with other communal meals, fondue etiquettes, range from being practical to amusing.
Fondue etiquettes:
>>After dipping the bread into the fondue, hold it over the pot for a few seconds to allow the extra cheese to drip back into the fondue pot. This also allows the cheese time to cool. To avoid dripping, you can bring the bread to your mouth with a small plate underneath it. Alternatively, remove it onto the plate.
>>Don’t touch the fondue fork with your mouth as the fork goes back into the pot. Be extra careful not to touch it with your lips.
>>Don’t double dip. Dipping the food, taking a bite, and then dipping it into the pot once again is a big no-no! Just make sure you cover the bread with enough cheese the first time round.
>>Don’t dip with your fingers. Use the given fork. Besides being bad table manners it’s not really recommended that you dip your fingers in hot molten cheese.
>>Don’t lose your food in the pot. As per tradition, the person who loses food in the fondue pot has to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the table.
A Swiss friend of mine invited us over for dinner with a promise that she’d serve the best fondue we had ever had. While I fished out my stilletoes, and my Hermes silk scarf – I also brushed up my ‘fondue etiquettes.’
The term “fondue” comes from the French word ‘fondre’ which literally means to melt. Fondue refers to communal dishes shared at the table in an earthenware pot called ‘caquelon’ which is kept over a small burner called ‘rechaud’. Fondue is eaten by spearing small cubes of bread or other food items with a long fork, and then dipping it into the delicious mixture of molten cheese present in the fondue pot. Besides cubes of bread, one can also dip cooked chicken, ham, garlic sausage, roasted potatoes, asparagus spears, broccoli and cauliflower florets and peppers.
Fondue was actually invented out of necessity. Swiss villagers, who were separated from towns by long winters, had to rely on foods such as bread and cheese that were made in the summer. Stale cheese becomes very hard. However, if cheese was heated over a fire it tasted better and was much easier to eat. Bread in turn would soften when it was dipped into the cheese. Soon wine and other seasonings were being mixed to turn old cheese and bread into a delectable meal. As with etiquettes connected with other communal meals, fondue etiquettes, range from being practical to amusing.
Fondue etiquettes:
>>After dipping the bread into the fondue, hold it over the pot for a few seconds to allow the extra cheese to drip back into the fondue pot. This also allows the cheese time to cool. To avoid dripping, you can bring the bread to your mouth with a small plate underneath it. Alternatively, remove it onto the plate.
>>Don’t touch the fondue fork with your mouth as the fork goes back into the pot. Be extra careful not to touch it with your lips.
>>Don’t double dip. Dipping the food, taking a bite, and then dipping it into the pot once again is a big no-no! Just make sure you cover the bread with enough cheese the first time round.
>>Don’t dip with your fingers. Use the given fork. Besides being bad table manners it’s not really recommended that you dip your fingers in hot molten cheese.
>>Don’t lose your food in the pot. As per tradition, the person who loses food in the fondue pot has to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the table.
Each household has their own rules. If the bread is lost in the fondue, it is customary for that person to be punished in some way. If a lady drops food in the pot she has to kiss the person next to her. An extract of the fondue scene from ‘Asterix in Switzerland’ explains the gravity of the offence:
The Trouble with Fondue...
"Everyone got it? If you lose your piece of bread in the fondue, you pay a forfeit! The first time it's five of the best with a stick; the second time you get twenty lashes with a whip; the third time you get thrown into the lake with weights tied to your feet!"
Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com
"Everyone got it? If you lose your piece of bread in the fondue, you pay a forfeit! The first time it's five of the best with a stick; the second time you get twenty lashes with a whip; the third time you get thrown into the lake with weights tied to your feet!"
Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com
posted by Sangeeta Rana @ 1:33 AM
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