When you hear "Fondue", you probably think of the Swiss classic: cheese fondue – dipping bread into a pot of melted Gruyere and Emmenthal, with a splash (or two) of white wine and Kirsch liquor, all bubbling away at your table. But come Christmas and New Year’s, the Swiss swap their cheese for meat, diving into the world of meat fondue, a tradition now as Swiss as yodeling.
But while cheese fondue’s history is well-documented, dating back to the 17th century, the origin of meat fondue is much murkier. And no, meat fondue isn’t just dunking meat into cheese — though I once had the misfortune of experiencing this culinary crime at a Tokyo year-end party. Not exactly a favourite culinary experience in my life!
So, what is meat fondue?
In its classic form, it’s called “Fondue Bourguignonne” and involves cooking beef cubes in hot oil, served with a variety of dipping sauces. Some say it dates back to medieval Burgundy, where vineyard workers cooked meat in hot oil in the fields. Others claim it was invented by a Swiss restaurateur in New York in 1956. Who knows? Maybe both are true!
Growing up in Switzerland in the 70s, our New Year’s Eve staple soon became "Fondue Chinoise," a healthier version with thin slices of various kinds of meat cooked in hot broth instead of oil, inspired by Chinese or Mongolian hot pots. Rumour has it that a Swiss man visiting China in the 1950s came up with the idea. Seems like the 50s were a hotbed of fondue innovation!
Then came "Fondue Vigneronne” (or wine fondue), with meat cooked in a flavourful red wine broth. Whether it hails from the French Alsace, or French-speaking regions of Switzerland is up for debate, but who cares? It’s delicious!
I introduced wine fondue to my in-laws in Japan in 1996, and it’s been a New Year’s Eve favourite ever since. In Switzerland, it’s loved for bringing people together around the pot, allowing them to cook their chosen ingredients, much like Japan’s "shabu-shabu" or "sukiyaki." It’s a universal idea, even if the ingredients and style may differ.
Swiss meat fondue is also popular because requires little preparation — just pop into your local butcher’s and pick up the pre-ordered platter of meat, dipping sauces and broth, and you’re set for your holiday feast.
Not so in Japan, where significant labour goes into slicing the meat, rolling the meatballs, and preparing the dipping sauces and wine broth. But as the job is shared between my wife and me, at least my mother-in-law gets some well-deserved time off kitchen duty.
In any case, on New Year’s Day morning, the roles are reversed, as she takes over with “Osechi”, a traditional meal consisting of a variety of beautifully prepared dishes, each with its own symbolic meaning, often related to health, prosperity and happiness for the coming year.
Unlike meat fondue, "Osechi" has undisputed historical roots dating back to the Heian period (794-1185). Nowadays, though, the individual ingredients no longer have to be painstakingly cooked or prepared, but can be bought as a set in shops or ordered online. All you have to do is to arrnage them nicely in the multi-tiered boxes.
But while I embrace other Japanese dishes (such as the various hot pot options), I’m ashamed to say that sweet black soybeans, herring roe, dried sardines, fish cakes, pickled daikon and simmered shrimp don’t exactly tickle my fancy for the first meal of the day, no matter how symbolic they may be. So, while the rest of the extended family enjoys their “Osechi”, I stick to coffee and croissants. Proof that different cultures can coexist — even at the same breakfast table.
Happy New Year! May it be filled with lots of laughter and rich culinary experiences!
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