Fondue

Possibly the most well-known of Alpine dishes is the fondue, a sturdy pot full of melted cheese into which you dip chunks of crusty bread.

A favourite dish in Les 2 Alpes mountain restaurants, the exact recipe will vary according their own personal touches. A typical cheese fondue is a concoction of a variety of local cheeses (often reblochon, gruyère, comté, beaufort or emmental), a little garlic and seasoning, a glug of alcohol (kirsch, white wine, or some local liqueur) and a bit of flour for thickening. You can then get variations that may contain nuts, mushrooms, tomatoes, chillies, and other flavours.

There is also a meat fondue (fondue bourguignonne), which is a pot of hot oil into which you dip chunks of raw seasoned meat until they are cooked to your liking and then enjoy with different sauces and, sometimes, salad or pickled gherkins.

Dessert fondues are becoming increasingly popular - melted chocolate into which you dip fruit, marshmallows and other treats.