Where does fondue come from? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is surprisingly complicated. The origins of fondue are shrouded in mystery, and there are many different stories and many different versions. One thing is certain: people have loved gathering around a fondue pot for a long time. Fondue has even helped wartime enemies find peace together\u2014at least for the length of a meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re going to focus on the Swiss legend of \u201cKappel\u2019s milk soup.\u201d It\u2019s a symbol of neutrality and accord, and an important one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s travel back to the 16th century. It\u2019s 1529 in the Swiss village of Kappel, and we\u2019re right on the border between Zurich and the canton of Zug.1<\/sup> The country is in the midst of war. Specifically, the \u201cFirst War of Kappel,\u201d the first of Europe\u2019s religious wars between Catholics and Protestants. On June 8, 1529, the Protestant canton of Zurich declares war against five Catholic cantons. While the generals of the two camps are trying to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict, the soldiers on the front lines start to chat and reminisce, since many of them had fought together in the wars of Italy. Legend tells us that some Catholic soldiers put a jar of milk on the line separating the two armies and asked the opposing camp of Zurich soldiers to toss in some bread. They ate together, sitting on either side of the soup pot on the border between their lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This mixture of bread and milk is called \u201csoup of Kappel.\u201d Some claim that fondue developed from this soup, which would mean that this earliest form of fondue helped prevent a battle. The peace may have been short lived\u2014there was a second war in 153\u2014but still, how many of us can say we ended a conflict with food?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The eternal question remains: was fondue created first in Switzerland or France? It\u2019s hard to say. However, it doesn\u2019t seem very likely that one single person invented fondue. It developed gradually out of a long history full of cultural exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first references to fondue may be found in antiquity, dating back to the 8th century BCE. In Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/em>\u2014a massive epic of Greek literature, with nearly 16,000 lines\u2014the author mentions something resembling cheese fondue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Switzerland, the oldest surviving fondue recipe is found in a 1699 book from Zurich. That recipe is entitled, \u201cTo cook cheese with wine.\u201d The next mention is of fondue in 1885, in a cookbook whose title translates to Practical Cooking That Received an Honourable Mention at the Swiss Culinary Exposition in Zurich<\/em>. Fondue became the official traditional Swiss dish in the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In France, fondue makes its appearance in the 17th century, in The French Cook. <\/em>This enormously influential cookbook marked the shift from medieval cookery to modern French cuisine. The author, Fran\u00e7ois Pierre de la Varenne, chef to the Marquis d\u2019Uxelles, described a recipe using melted cheese and bread, which he called \u201cRamekin of cheese.\u201d In 1825, famous historical foodie Jean Anthelme Brillat\u2011Savarin spoke of fondue and even gave us a recipe for it in his book The Physiology of Taste: Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another major milestone in fondue\u2019s history, and one that played a decisive role in its success, was the New York World\u2019s Fair in 1940. There, fairgoers got to taste Switzerland\u2019s national dish: fondue. A few decades later, in the 1980s, came the marketing campaign \u201cLa fondue cr\u00e9e la bonne humeur,\u201d or \u201cFondue creates a good mood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Switzerland and France both have their own stories of the origins of fondue. As a phenomenon and a culinary experience, fondue has evolved over time, and its simplicity and irresistible taste have ensured its popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you heard of the Aquarium bar, founded in 1953? Did you know that it was the forerunner of Au Caf\u00e9 Suisse? In the 1960s, it was one of Qu\u00e9bec City\u2019s top restaurants. It was right on Sainte-Anne Street and played host to plenty of politicians and journalists. Ren\u00e9 L\u00e9vesque himself was a regular there, and spoke of it in his memoir: \u201cThe gossip mills turning endlessly from the Grand All\u00e9e to the Aquarium.\u201d At that restaurant, they served… fondue, of course! And that\u2019s where it all started in Quebec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are the heirs of Gaston Perrin, who started the Aquarium bar and the restaurant Le Chalet Suisse. Our story began in 1984, with the acquisition of the restaurant at Le Chalet Suisse, which would become Au Caf\u00e9 Suisse in 1991. It was actually close to 20 years later, when we acquired our new restaurant La Grolla, that we started to dedicate ourselves body and soul to our great project: making truly homegrown fondues with local Quebec cheeses. And so, 1001 Fondues was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dipping your fork into a fondue pot you\u2019re sharing with friends is a moment of pure joy\u2014for both your tastebuds and your soul. That\u2019s been proven time and again for centuries. Believe us, one taste and you\u2019ll be hooked. You\u2019ll never be able to pass up a fondue night again.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFondue\u2019s origins, and some notable moments in fondue history<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What about Quebec?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A short history of 1001 Fondues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fondue and friendly gatherings: a match made in heaven<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n