Half-hard cheese crackling, steamed potatoes, crunchy gherkins or white onions to bring that delicate touch of acidity, this is the classic recipe for a good meal with family or friends after a day on the slopes! Some people add cold cuts, shallots or paprika or even vegetables, fruits or smoked salmon for the more sophisticated. Today, nearly 15,000 tons of raclette cheese are produced in Switzerland every year, but how did these wheels of cheese, each about 30 centimeters in diameter, become the stars of Swiss culinary specialties? This is the story of the roasted cheese.
To find the origin of raclette, we have to go back to the time when the patois of the villages resounded between the snowy peaks of the Valais. According to the legend, a certain Léon, a winegrower from the Valais, was about to eat his lunch, which was as nourishing as it was monotonous: bread and cheese, as usual. But it was cold, so cold that a hot meal would have been more appropriate and appreciated. The winegrower then decided to put his piece of cheese on the wood fire to warm it up. If we talk about raclette today, it is because the tasting was very successful, but let’s not go too quickly, even the term “raclette” did not exist at that time!
In the name of roasted cheese
If the invention of roasted cheese is attributed today to the Swiss shepherds of the Middle Ages, it was not until 1574 that written proof of its existence was found. Thanks to the pen of the doctor and pharmacist from Sedun, Gaspard Ambuel, known as Collinus, historians were able to discover how their Valaisan ancestors roasted their cheese in front of the fire. Paradoxically, the doctor emphasizes the poor nutritional qualities of this food! A first appearance in a document and already a criticism, the beginning is certainly not flattering! Maybe that’s why the recipe remained confined in the valleys for a few more years? Well, let’s not make a big deal of it!
It is only in the XXth century, that the shepherds’ dish will come down from its pastures inviting itself directly to the Exposition Cantonale Valaisanne of 1909. The event began with a song by the poet Oscar Perrollaz, “La Râclette”. Let’s talk about the name. First called roasted cheese, then râcla, to scrape in Valaisan dialect, the name “râclette” is an invention that refers to the gesture of removing the layer of melted cheese from the wheel heated by a wood fire. This culinary jewel of the Valais will go down in history as raclette. By the way, the masculine gender must be used to refer to this semi-hard cheese!
Swiss specialty
Of course, the rise of raclette did not stop at the geographical borders of the Valais. During the National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964, the Swiss and representatives of neighbouring countries discovered the know-how of the mountain cheesemakers and tasted the traditional recipe with its subtle flavours coming from the pastures. The experience was a great success, with nearly 300,000 portions served. Raclette has definitely become one of the most popular culinary specialties in the world, with its sweet Valaisan aroma. Although it is gaining in popularity, its consumption remains very restricted, limited to restaurants or specific events. While winter sports are booming, interest is growing, but the development is not exponential. And, yes, at that time, it was only eaten in half-meals! The solution came in 1978. Tefal, a specialist in household appliances, introduced its new invention: the first raclette grill for 6 people. This ingenious idea allowed the cheese dish to be served directly in the home. Both are winners, the company realizes exceptional sales, while the raclette opens to the consumption in pans! Since then, different models have appeared on the market, between the variants for two, the individual ones with candle, for quarter wheels or with natural stone, the choice is as wide as the different types of cheese. And speaking of cheese.
Cheese dispute
If the eternal debate between raclette or fondue has become part of the customs before the meal, it is the question of the choice of the cheese which made the caquelons boil in the years 2000. Well, not really of the cheese, but of its appellation, explanations! To understand what is at stake, we need to look at the ingredients of a raclette (the cheese, that is!): the milk, the lactic ferments and the rennet. According to the traditional Swiss method, the milk is heated, then mixed with lactic ferments and then rennet to make it curdle. Once the paste is ready, it is separated from the whey and finally put into the conservation molds. But which milk to use? If in the snowy mountains of the Valais, only raw milk is used, in other regions of Switzerland and France, pasteurized milk is used. The advantage of the latter is a regularity and constancy of taste, whereas the gustatory subtleties of raw milk cheese are strongly linked to the feeding of the cows in the pastures in summer or the hay in winter. The absence of sterilization requires a higher quality of milk and a better monitoring of the animals to avoid contamination with bad bacteria. In order to promote the traditions of the farmers attached to their land and this artisanal cheese-making know-how, some twenty Valais dairies have joined together under the Valdor label, which notably manages the marketing of their cheeses after 3-4 months of maturing in Sierre.
In 1997, a new federal ordinance on AOCs was issued and the Valais dairy federation and the State of Valais took advantage of this to register two names with the Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG): “Raclette du Valais AOC” and “Raclette AOC”. Behind these two names lies a precise production method, including the use of copper vats of less than 5,000 liters and, of course, whole, raw milk. The milk of discord, who would have believed it?
And Berne accepts the request to register both names. No intrigue, this decision brings a foehn of discontent from other producers, distributors and cantons! Indeed, even if the raclette originates on the peaks above Sion, today the Valais produces only 2,000 tons of roast cheese per year out of a total of nearly 15,000 tons. Another two tons are imported mainly from France, while the rest is made in other Swiss regions. For them, losing the right to use the word “raclette” would mean having to choose another name, such as “fromage à rôtir” for example, which is much less associated with the atmosphere of a winter evening with the family by the fireplace. Despite this tension, the OFAG rejected about 50 objections and published its formal decision in 2003. But the case was not yet won for the Valais. Yes, appeals were immediately lodged with the Department of Public Economy (Reko), which after an analysis of the file, gave reason to the opponents! And yes, raclette is a dish, a national dish, but not a cheese, so everyone can use it freely. Despite appeals filed later by the Valais, the Court validated this decision. Only the appellation “Raclette du Valais AOC” is now protected.
The case is decided! This decision allows the association Raclette Suisse, created in 1965, to continue its activities to promote raclette. If this name does not directly evoke a branding, the member brands, such as Emmi or Cremo clearly do. Producing pre-cut and pre-packaged pasteurized milk cheese, together they represent 85% of the Swiss market! And Raclette Suisse does not intend to stop on its assets, since it multiplied by 1.5 the production in 10 years, making more than double the exports to the international! After the revolution of the round cheese wheels in the middle of the 20th century, the square cheese wheels have invaded the market!
In short, raclette has gone from being a Valaisan peasant dish to a symbol of Swiss culinary traditions. It has its own world day on December 13th, even if we all know that its day is all winter long, or even all year long! Bon appétit!
Blonde râclette
En gouttelettes
Sur nos assiettes
Solide atour ;
Mets vénérable,
Au nom aimable,
Toute la table
Attend son tour
« La Râclette » song by Marguerite and Oscar Perrollaz