Cheese fondue originated in Switzerland, in the area of Neuchatel, made with common food items found in a household such as wine, leftover, day old cheese and bread. Melting the cheese, and dipping the bread into it was a good way to get rid of the food before it spoiled.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Entertaining-Holidays-651/fondue.aspx Some of the common cheeses used to make cheese fondue are emmental, gruyere, gouda, cheddar, and jarlsberg.

Emmental cheese is the most common cheese used in cheese fondue. It is mainly made in Switzerland with grass fed cow’s milk, and is aged for about 10 weeks to 6 months.http://www.gourmet-food.com/swiss-cheese/emmental-cheese-100630.aspx http://www.naturesbounty.com/vf/healthnotes/HN77/HN77_English/Food_Guide/Gruyere.htm Emmental cheese is a yellow color, and has the characteristic hole pattern throughout.http://www.gourmet-food.com/swiss-cheese/emmental-cheese-100630.aspx

Gruyere cheese is a hard cheese from the French speaking part of Switzerland, Gruyere. It is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk, and is aged two times longer than emmental cheese (8 to 10 months, can be aged up to 2 years), giving gruyere more flavor.http://www.naturesbounty.com/vf/healthnotes/HN77/HN77_English/Food_Guide/Gruyere.htm

Gouda cheese is a semi soft cheese that originates from The Netherlands. It can be made with either cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or goat’s milk. Gouda cheese can be purchased smoked or non smoked, and have a mild flavor, compared to emmental and gruyere. Gouda is aged from 6 months to 2 years, but can go for as long as 5 years.http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cheese/cheese2/whey/2008-02-gouda.asp

• Mixing bowl
• Sauce pan
• Fondue pot (optional)
• 1/2 pound or 8 ounces jarlsberg cheese, gratedhttp://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheese_fondue/
• 1/2 pound or 8 ounces emmental cheese, grated
• 1/2 pound or 8 ounces gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/4 pound or 4 ounces smoked gouda cheese, gratedhttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheese-Fondue-with-a-Twist/Detail.aspx
• 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed to be removed at the end
• 1 4 ounce can green chili peppers, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 pound loaf round breadhttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bread-Bowl-Fondue/Detail.aspx
• Foods for dipping in the cheese fondue: day old French bread, ham, cooked broccoli, cooked carrots, cooked cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers (green, red, orange, yellow), apples, pears, etc

1. Prepare jarlsberg, emmental, gruyere, and gouda cheeses. Place in a mixing bowl and add flour or cornstarch. Mix well, coating the cheeses and set aside.
2. Add dry white wine and lemon juice to a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
3. Add cheese mixture to the wine and lemon, a small amount at a time so the cheese can melt smoothly, lower the heat if needed. Stir with a spoon continuously until well incorporated. Add garlic, canned green chili peppers, kirsch, dry mustard, and nutmeg. Keep warm in the sauce pan or in a fondue pot.
4. As an option, a loaf of round bread can be used to hold the cheese fondue. Carefully hollow out the center and cut into cubes for dipping. Cut the entire loaf into cubes if using a fondue pot.
5. Prepare all of the food to be served for dipping.
6. Bring everything to the table and enjoy.

• It is recommended to season your fondue pot before you use it for the first time. Boil a 1 to 1 ratio of water and milk for about 15 minutes. All fondue pots, ceramic and stainless steel, should be washed by hand with soapy water.http://www.fantes.com/fondue.html

Electric Fondue Pot

• Electric fondue pots make it easy to control and maintain the temperature to how high or low you want, there is no need for a candle. The fondue pots are made out of stainless steel, similar to a sauce pan, and are easy to clean.http://www.electricfonduepot.org/

Ceramic Fondue Pot

• Ceramic fondue pots are more traditional, but can be harder to maintain a certain level of heat, compared to the electric version. There are 3 different ways to heat a fondue pot, using sterno fuel, alcohol fuel, and candles. All of these methods can only provide so much heat.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Entertaining-Holidays-651/fondue.aspx