I’m going to be honest, the smell of fondue makes me nauseous. It has something to do with the pungent aroma of melted gruyere cheese. So, I passed by several fondue restaurants in Switzerland, deterred by the smell wafting from them. But, I couldn’t possibly leave Zurich without trying something so traditionally Swiss. So, I plugged my nose and entered Swiss Chuchi.
And then I turned around and walked out. I can do this. I walked back in.
I took one of the last seats in this bustling restaurant and quickly ordered a Swiss Cabernet, maybe the smell of wine will melt away the smell of cheese. Not a chance.
Swiss Chuchi is a well-known eatery in Zurich that specializes in traditional Swiss style food. Though there were plenty of other tempting dishes on the menu to choose from, a pot of fondue sat on almost every table, a not-so subliminal message.
I really didn’t need any convincing, because the main reason I was enduring the cheesy stink was for fondue.
I ordered a pot of traditional fondue with ham & champignon mushrooms for 28 francs ($30.86 usd). Ouch. Stinky cheese is expensive in Zurich.
The traditional fondue is made with four cheeses, including Gruyere, though I was hoping that the other three others would disguise it.
The pot came to the table bubbling hot, with a basketful of cubed bread. I stuck a cube of bread on my fondue pitchfork and dipped it into the melted bowl of cheese.
Please don’t taste like gruyere smells.
This fondue was melted goodness, a perfect gooey blend of all four cheeses without a hint of foulness. Little bits of ham and mushroom were lightly stuck to the bottom of my pot, easily dislodged with my fork.
My fondue was not cooling down at all on top of the continual flame, which made it difficult to shove as much slathered bread into my mouth as rapidly as I wanted. Thankfully, I noticed a spoon like device meant to be put over the flame to control the temperature. Which I did. It continued to bubble for three more minutes and then the heat became a more manageable level.
That’s when the real gorging began.
As the smell of gruyere subsided or my nostrils acclimated, I ordered another glass of wine to rapidly enjoy the remaining 42 cubes of bread.
It turns out that I am a big fan of a meal that consists solely of bread and cheese. Aren’t you?
Two very small glasses of wine $18.67, one individual pot of fondue $30.86, a memorable bucket list worthy experience…priceless.
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Ahh I’m so glad you liked it! (I live in Switzerland so this made me happy :)) hahhahah and believe me, it’s not just smelly cheese that’s expensive in Switzerland, EVERYTHING is
You should consider going up to Gruyere to see the place that makes the cheese, it’s a gorgeous village up in the mountains and home to a museum devoted to the movie Alien (the guy who created the creatures for the films is a Swiss artist who comes from Gruyere)
I would love to go to Gruyere, now that I know my nose can adjust to the smell :)
This was my first visit to Switzerland, but definitely not my last. It was absolutely stunning!
I love fondue!
I had fondue once, made by a friend who invited me to dinner. There were no mushrooms and there was no ham. I’m not sure I’ll ever grasp the ideology of a meal that’s all or mostly cheese. It wasn’t the most digestion friendly meal I’ve ever had. :-) The wine does look divine though.
I will vouch for the Swiss wine, it was pretty tasty!
Mmmm – we ate so much fondue in Switzerland – love it!
I need to go back to Switzerland to eat so much more :)
As a Swiss person, it is always fun to read about the experiences of travelers coming to Switzerland and trying fondue. It sure needs some getting used to, but I’m glad you enjoyed it in the end :) But wow, that was an expensive pleasure for sure. Although I have lived in Switzerland for over 20 years before escaping to warmer climates, I always made them from scratch for a few bucks. Happy travels!
Making fondue on my own might have to be the next bucket list goal! Do you have a good recipe?
Wow Switzerland is one of the coolest countries in the world. Thanks for sharing this information really helps a lot
While I visited Switzerland. The hotel where i stayed had an open fire place in which the melted the cheese in an old fashion iron pot. It reminded of the ones we see in the old cowboy movies. The fondue was excellent and served with a variety of dippers small pickles, ham spears, bread on small onions. I suppose this doesn’t go well for a romantic encounter. Like the writer I truly enjoyed the people, the adventures, the under ground shopping. The honesty of the people there is truly amazing. My daughter who was 7 at time left her snow pants on the train. I reported it to the railroad office and the next day her pants were in my possession.