Dairy
Raclette
Raclette is a semi-hard cow’s-milk cheese designed to melt: the name comes from the French racler, “to scrape,” as the heated face of a half-wheel is scraped over potatoes, meats, and pickles. Swiss and French Alpine versions share a creamy, mildly nutty paste and good stretch; washed or natural rinds contribute savoury aroma without dominating the melt. Beyond the classic table heater, it is used in sandwiches, tartiflette-adjacent dishes, and baked melts. Protected Raclette du Valais AOP and other regional raclettes coexist with industrial melting blocks sold simply as “raclette cheese.”
Also known as: Raclette du Valais AOP, Raclette de Savoie, Raclette Suisse
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History
Alpine herders in the Valais are associated with heating and scraping mountain cheese over hearth meals—early raclette practice.
Written accounts popularise “raclette” as the scraped-cheese meal of the Swiss Alps.
Village dairies shaped semi-hard wheels expressly for melting service in inns and mountain restaurants.
Electric table raclette grills spread the dish internationally and drove demand for mild melting wheels.
Raclette du Valais AOP protected traditional Valais production against generic raclette labels.
French Alpine and industrial raclettes expanded supermarket melt culture alongside Swiss AOP wheels.