Raclette is a traditional Swiss dish and type of cheese, originating from the Alps, that involves melting cheese—usually under a specialized grill or fire—and scraping the melted portion over boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and pickles. The name derives from the French word "racler" ("to scrape").
A raclette dish is a Swiss meal centered around melted cheese, named from the French word "racler" (to scrape), where rich, semi-hard cheese is heated until gooey and scraped over accompaniments like boiled potatoes, cured meats (charcuterie), pickles (cornichons), and onions. It's a communal, interactive meal, traditionally made by melting a wheel of cheese by a fire and scraping it off, but now commonly prepared at home with tabletop grills featuring small pans for individual customization.
It is a traditional Swiss meal cooked by heating the cheese either in front of a fire or by a special machine and scraping (“racler” in French, giving the name raclette) the melted cheese onto potatoes and cured meats. A simple and perfect meal to be shared with family and friends!
The word “raclette” is not actually the name of a cheese. In fact, it comes from the French verb “racler”, referring to the action of scraping melted cheese off accompaniments. Raclette” therefore refers more to the spatula used to scrape the cheese.
Cheesy Delight: How to Prepare an Authentic Swiss Raclette
Is raclette healthy to eat?
In addition to its other benefits, raclette cheese is an excellent source of calcium, an essential mineral for bone health . With no less than 661 mg of calcium per 100 g, it helps prevent problems such as osteoporosis by strengthening bone density.
A stomach ache after raclette often comes from the meal's high fat/protein content slowing digestion, leading to bloating/heaviness, or from lactose intolerance due to the cheese, causing gas and cramps. Other causes could be food poisoning from poorly handled raw meats (like Campylobacter) or gallbladder issues from the rich fats, so good hygiene and thorough cooking are vital.
Ogleshield. The West Country's answer to raclette, Ogleshield is a gentle yet complex cheese, with a sweet and milky aroma and warm, savoury flavour reminiscent of chicken broth. The texture beneath the pungent pink rind is soft and pliant, and it melts beautifully.
If you prefer a soft, artisan cheese, go for Camembert. But if you enjoy a semisoft, smooth consistency, Raclette might be the better pick. Camembert has a sweet taste, making it great for various dishes. Meanwhile, Raclette offers a mildly acidic profile, ideal for different meals.
The best cheese for raclette is traditional Swiss or French Raclette cheese, known for its creamy melt and nutty flavor, but excellent alternatives include Alpine-style cheeses like Gruyère, Comté, or Appenzeller, which offer complex, savory notes, while Butterkäse, Fontina, and even mild Cheddar provide great meltability for different tastes, with fun additions like smoked or peppered versions for extra zest.
Serve raclette with traditional boiled potatoes, pickled onions, and cornichons, plus an array of cured meats, crusty bread, and grilled vegetables like mushrooms or peppers, using the grill top for meats and the pans for cheese melted over these items, balancing the richness with a fresh salad and wine.
Another rule: no water (or no drinks besides wine, beer or hot tea while eating raclette –and for two hours afterward). The argument is that anything besides these drinks will cause the raclette to congeal in your belly, committing you to the very painful process of passing a large ball of cheese the next day.
How do you eat a traditional raclette? Traditionally, a half wheel of raclette cheese is heated until the surface bubbles and softens. The melted layer is then scraped directly onto a plate filled with warm boiled potatoes, charcuterie, crusty bread, and pickled vegetables.
Raclette eventually gained national (and international) popularity from the 1964 National Exhibition. In Valais, raclette is typically served with potatoes, cornichons (fermented, pickled cucumbers), pickled onions, black tea, other warm beverages, or Fendant wine.
The cheese: If you can't find cheese specifically made for raclette, use any really good melting Swiss cheese, such as Gruyere or even Appenzeller. ...
The potatoes: Small new potatoes boiled in their jackets. ...
Indulge in the art of Swiss Raclette, a celebration of tradition and flavour. With its rich nutty notes and melting creamy texture, our Raclette slices are a versatile delight, perfect to elevate any occasion.
Raclette cheese is a popular stinky cheese from the Swiss and French Alps. It's known for its rich, creamy, and slightly nutty flavor. Raclette cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk and is produced using a semi-hard cheese-making process.
I also found the raclette cheese at Aldi, perfectly portioned for the pans beneath the grill. I had a raclette party for my boyfriend's birthday, and we had so much fun with this grill!
“Our raclette is a cheese you can have both ways,” she says. “You can eat it without melting it, at a picnic… people snack on it.” While quality raclettes are complex enough to hold their own on a cheese plate, there's no denying that melting sparks a transformation.
To flush dairy out of your system quickly, eliminate all dairy products from your diet and load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seeds. These are high in fiber and acids that help break down and push out all milk proteins from your system. Also, set aside some time to work out.
Swiss cheeses are higher than other cheeses in a bacterium called Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Their consumption regulates your gut microbiota, which makes them both probiotic and prebiotic. That's a fancy way of saying that P. freudenreichii helps keep your gut happy and healthy.
