Before the snow began to melt in the French Alps, we loaded up the car with too many snowboards, hats, and gloves, and trekked across the country from the Loire Valley to Châtel, a beautiful ski station in the Haute-Savoie. While I was looking forward to learning how to snowboard (did I mention that it was my first time?), I was equally excited to discover the gastronomic specialties of the region.
On the slopes, there wasn’t a day when the sun wasn’t shining. This was great for tanning on the terrace with a cup of vin chaud, but it also meant that the snow was melting, the slopes were icy, and, yes, I quickly ended up with a sprained wrist… but this didn’t prevent me from eating.
Snow was not the only thing melting in the Haute-Savoie this week. In French fondre means “to melt,” which is the origin of fondue. While there are many different versions of fondue, fondue savoyarde is a longtime favorite. After all, how can a pot, or caquelon as they call it, filled with melted cheese and white wine be a bad thing? The village of Châtel is filled with numerous restaurants serving this specialty, which is a mixture of hard and semi soft cheeses (often composed of beaufort, gruyère, and emmetal) melted with a dry white wine in a large ceramic pot prepared by rubbing a garlic clove.
Eating fondue is a communal ritual. One large caquelon is placed in the middle of the table, and each person takes a turn dipping in a stale piece of bread with a long thin fork. But, be careful! If you drop your bread in the pot, you’ll either be faced with kissing or neighbor or accepting a dare, often resulting in the removal of clothing.
Oh no, melting snow! I hope it holds out at least another 4 weeks until we’ve had our trips to the Alps.
But now you come to mention it, perhaps a gastronomic feast is a good alternative… Thanks!