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Raclette Cheese

Swiss Raclette cheese

Apart from the magnificent Swiss Alps themselves, Switzerland's greatest natural resource is the cow. Farmers living in in the Alpine regions take full advantage of the moist alpine pastures with its pure and clean air and move their livestock up the mountains to graze during the summer season. Their prime breed of cattle enjoy grazing on the succulent grasses and in turn provide the country with the rich milk supply that produces high quality cheese. The variety of naturally growing grasses in the upper altitudes contain a higher protein and fat content and are highly nutritious. It is also no wonder why that smooth creamy Swiss chocolate has become so famous. Raclette cheese is made on both the Swiss and French sides of the Alps but the cheese bearing the name Valais Raclette is the most famous .The Valais Raclette (namely cheese made in the Valleys of Bagnes, Goms, Les Haudères and Orsières) is made according to ancestral methods. There is no denying that the unique climate and alpine meadows in the area have an effect on the quality of the milk produced there. A semi-hard cheese made from unpasturised cow's milk Valais Ralette cheese has a distinctive aromatic flavour, brushed brown/orange coloured rind, light-yellow coloured body, fragrant creamy texture, with scattered holes and has an ideal fat and moisture ratio that prevents the cheese from separating when melted.

Raclette made in New Zealand

Nowadays the Swiss have come to grips with their cheese being produced in Germany, France, Austria, Finland and overseas. Raclette style cheese is also manufactured in New Zealand and is slowly becoming more widely available. The most famous is made by Mainland and sold under the name Ferndale Raclette. You should be able to buy it in your local supermarket. If you have a chance, definitely give this fine cheese a try!

Raclette made in Australia

Heidi Farm Raclette Cheese The Australian version maintains the unique flavour of traditional Raclette cheese which intensify when heated and melts to a creamy consistency. Raclette cheese in Australia is manufactured here by award winning cheese maker - Lactos from Tasmania and marketed under the name Heidi Farm Raclette Cheese. It has a light brown outer washed rind, pale-yellow body, tiny scattered holes, semi hard texture. Aged between four and six months old, if left uncut, will continue to age. In Australia Raclette cheese is sold by the kilogram and your deli department will usually sell the cheese by cutting a fresh wedge directly from the round wheel. It is a cheese that is rather on the expensive side but once you have tasted it you'll discover why it's the favourite one for melting. Chefs around Australia are slowly beginning to incorporated Australian raclette cheese into their sauce recipes, in salads and for soup toppings as they learn of its flavoursome qualities.

Please also look at:

Ferndale Raclette
Buying raclette cheese
Order a raclette grill
The Gourmet
The Entertainer

Have a look at our raclette grill models The Gourmet or The Entertainer. What a fun way to entertain up to eight dinner guests.