Fondue is possibly the most delicious and fun food ever made. Who doesn’t like dipping yummy things into drippy, melted cheese?
Or, if you’re ready for desert, how about swirling cool strawberries into a warm, creamy pool of chocolate? Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
The term “fondue” comes from the French word “fondre” (“to melt”). This, of course, refers to the contents of a fondue pot. Fondue is enjoyed by spearing dipping ingredients with a fork and then dunking them into the cheese or chocolate mixture. Dipping ingredients for cheese fondue include: chunks of French bread, meats, and vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes, and peppers.
Some great dipping ingredients for chocolate fondue are: strawberries, bananas, chunks of pound cake, cheesecake, and small cookies.
There are also Hot Oil Fondues for dipping meats like beef, chicken and shrimp. These are usually served with small bowls of sauces for dipping. Oil fondue is traditionally called Fondue Bourguignonne. It’s probably the most popular meat fondue, but there are other fondue’s such as Hot Pot fondue that uses broth instead of oil to cook the meat. Broth fondue is a great choice, it gives the meat a great flavor but it’s also very healthy.
So what do you need to start cooking fondue? A fondue pot of course! You can find a usually find a nice new fondue pot at any large department store for under fifty dollars. Fondue is so easy to prepare and so much fun to eat that it’s worth the investment of a fondue pot if you don’t have one.
Most fondue sets these days are electric, although there are sets that require liquid fuel. It doesn’t matter too much which one you choose, because you will greatly enjoy making fondue either way.
If you know someone that was around in the 60’s or 70’s you might ask them to borrow one. Fondue parties were so popular in this era that, odds are, they have one.
Somehow fondue fell out of fashion for a while, but fortunately it’s coming back big time. This year, especially, fondue has seen a massive surge in popularity. Chocolate and dessert fondue is the favorite, but cheese fondue is popular as well.
The appeal of fondue is easy to see. The food is delicious, and it’s also extremely exciting to eat without silverware for a change. The fondue pot also forces everyone to eat around one table. This makes for a fun and conversation filled evening.
Fondue is also a very versatile food. It’s perfect for a romantic evening, but also works wonderfully as a fun night with all the kids.
Ready to get started? You might want to start with a traditional cheese fondue recipe to see what everyone is talking about. After that, there are countless fondue recipes on the Internet and many fondue cookbooks.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a large party or for two people, if you decide to break out the fondue pot it’s going to be a smash hit!