Behold the Swissness! What better way to start the colder season with a savoury raclette? Andrea invited the whole team to his house in the mountains surrounding Lugano to enjoy a cozy meal all together.
Raclette is very Swiss. It appears in medieval Switzerland, as far as 1291 (coincidentally, the year in which Switzerland was created… just a coincidence?). It was then known in the German-speaking part of Switzerland as “Bratchääs”, or “roasted cheese.” Traditionally, Swiss cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they were moving cows to or from the pastures up in the mountains. In the evenings around the campfire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had reached the perfect softness, scrape it on top of bread. Continuous Quality Testing was, as always, part of the evening.
Usually served with potatoes, a variation of Raclette very fond of Ticino is to melt cheese at the fireplace and serve it over bread. Tea or other warm beverages are typically served, although a popular option is white wine (guess what most of us chose?), such as the traditional Fendant from the Canton of Valais. Local tradition cautions that other drinks – water for example – will cause the cheese to harden in the stomach, leading to indigestion… and rust 😉
Thanks again Andrea, that was awesome!
