What Are the Best Cheese for Fondue & How to Choose?

What makes a perfect fondue cheese? What kind of cheese should you use? Cheese fondue is truly versatile as well as a multi-functional dish that can be fun on any occasion. It can be prepared to almost any taste or preference and it’s pretty much simpler if you have the right tool. You don’t need to accompany anything else to your favorite cheese fondue if you select the dipping options wisely.

However, there’re so many different types of cheese available in the market which makes it more than difficult to get the best cheese for fondue. In this article, I’m going to discuss a variety of cheese options just for you.

Let’s check the article thoroughly so that you can find out the right cheese to make your favorite fondue more delicious. So, let’s start it.

The Best Cheese for Fondue:

You can use any kind of cheese to prepare your favorite cheese fondue recipe. Also, you can use one single kind of cheese or can mix different types of cheeses. In this section, you’ll get a list of the various types of cheeses that you can use to make your favorite fondue dish. So, Let’s check it out to know more in detail.

A Perfect Combination of Swiss Cheese:

One of the most common options for fondue is a combination of 3 different types of Swiss cheese. These cheeses blend nicely together to give you a rich and smooth flavor that everyone will love for sure.

However, the best cheese ratio for a perfect fondue recipe is 1/3 Gruyere, 1/3 Fontina, and 1/3 Gouda. These 3 types of Swiss cheese will make your fondue absolutely delicious when combined and melted together.

For the best result, grate the cheese to a fairly nice grated size and blend them together well before you mix them completely with cornstarch. With the mixture of these cheeses, you’ll get a bold and complex taste that was meant for fondue. Moreover, they all are creamy cheese, meaning they melt smoothly together to give you the perfect fondue.

Gruyere:

Gruyere is a yellow semi-firm Swiss cheese from the medieval town of Gruyeres in Fribourg, Switzerland. It’s a ready-to-use cheese with a thick, compact texture and a good complex of flavors. Young Gruyere has sweet, slightly salty, and nutty flavors as well.

As it ages, the flavors of this cheese become more depth and earthy, dropping some of the nutty flavors of youth. This cheese is considered the star of classics such as French onion soup and cheese fondue, thanks to its wonderfully smooth texture.

Gruyere works nicely for traditional fondue recipes because of its creamy texture and flavor. The flavor blends very well with a variety of dipping options and the melting process will be simple as well as smooth.

Emmental:

Emmental is (also known as Emmentaler or Emmental) a yellow medium-hard Swiss cheese. The cheese is made in the central cantons of Switzerland. It is one of the best melting cheeses available in the market and is often considered the main ingredient of fondue.

Emmental cheese is made from cow’s milk, has sweetness and richness in flavor. It varieties from mild and creamy to tangy and full-flavored, depending on its aging. The PH level of this cheese gives it the perfect melting point, resulting in a melted liquid that’s stringy and holds its texture at the same time.

Gouda:

Another best cheese option for a delicious fondue recipe is Gouda cheese and it’s the best-known type of Dutch cheese. Compared to Gruyere, Gouda cheese is a much brighter yellow type of cheese but has a pleasant flavor all the same.

This cheese is made out of cow’s milk that has a mild woody and smoky flavor. Gouda is considered one of the most popular melting cheeses which makes it an ideal option for fondue.

However, the texture, taste, and flavor of the Gouda cheese can vary a lot. Because of the huge differences in aging time, two different forms of Gouda cheese can taste completely different. Younger Gouda cheese has a mild flavor with a smooth and semi-firm texture. Matured Gouda cheese, on the other hand, is hard and crumbly; comes with a deeper flavor.

Comte:

Comte is the most popular French cheese that is very similar to Gruyere. However, the main difference between Comte and Gruyere is their aging process as Comte is usually aged much longer.

If you love the melting process of Gruyere but want to try something more flavorful you can choose Comte for your fondue. This French cheese is the benchmark for all kinds of melting cheeses with its smooth texture and flavor release.

However, the mild, fruity, and slightly sweet taste of Comte might not be perfect for every single dipping option. But you’ll find this French cheese pairs very well with other cheeses and the flavor is mild enough to dip whatever you want.

Cheddar:

Cheddar is considered one of the main parts of the British diet and the most popular variety of cheese. It comes from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England, and can be found in shops all over the country. There are various kinds of cheddar and it comes in a range of different strengths, from mild to vintage.

Nowadays you can even purchase a reduced-fat version of Cheddar cheese though they don’t taste as good. In general, Cheddar is a form of hard cheese but you can also get the mild version of the cheese. The mild versions of Cheddar come with a creamy and consistent texture. The vintage versions of cheddar, alternatively, are firm and crumbly and have a strong, sharp, and tangy flavor.

Fontina:

Fontina is an Italian cheese, very much similar in texture when melted to Gruyere but with a mild flavor. It has a sweet and savory flavor combination which gives your favorite fondue a pleasant flavor to dip anything in. This is also a semi-firm cheese that comes with a very creamy texture.

It melts very nicely and is flavorful, making it another ideal option for a fondue recipe. In the traditional fondue recipe (Italy’s version of cheese fondue) Fontina is the desired cheese.

Tips to Choose the Best Type of Cheese for Fondue:

When you’re choosing your fondue cheese, some effective tips help you to pick the best melting cheese for your fondue. Keep scrolling to know more.

The quality and the type of cheese can make a significant difference in the result of making fondue. So, it’s important to choose good-quality cheese for your fondue though you’ve to spend a little more on it.
For traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue, it’s better to mix 1-3 different types of cheese.
Try to choose a firm, mountain-style cheese to get the best result every time.
While choosing fondue, make sure it is creamy or buttery cheese because they melt smoothly.

Final Words:

In conclusion, there are so many ways to conjure up a delicious and flavorful fondue recipe. For instance, every Swiss region has its own recipe of cheese fondue, that’s why various types of cheeses are getting melted.

The preparation and other ingredients of cheese fondue are similar, only the cheese usage differs mainly. Depending on the combination of cheese and all other ingredients, each cheese fondue gets its typical flavor and taste.