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Executive chef at Chesa<br />
CheesefondueisthehotpotoftheWest.Abubblingpot<br />
of melted cheese and wine served over an open flame,<br />
this ultimate winter warmer is beloved in Europe,<br />
particularly in the Alps.<br />
“Cheese fondue is very important in Switzerland,” says Florian<br />
Trento, executive chef at The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Swiss<br />
restaurant,Chesa.“Almosteveryfamilyhasapotandburnerathome<br />
and willeatitonceamonthorevenonceaweekduringwinter.”<br />
Trento’s passion for cooking began with a one-week internship<br />
at a Swiss motorway rest stop with six food joints. He continued<br />
his culinary career in Saudi Arabia before moving to Hong<br />
Kong in 1987 to join The Peninsula as sous chef. Twenty years<br />
on, Trento is now the group executive chef for The Peninsula<br />
Hotels and executive chef at Chesa.<br />
As a teenager he would have cheese fondue with friends<br />
ataclassmate’shome.“Iusedtohavecheesefondueevery<br />
Wednesday. We really enjoyed it, especially with the company<br />
of each other,” he says. “Also the discovery of Swiss white wines,<br />
which was especially great when you were only 16.”<br />
Literallytranslatingto“meltedcheese”,fondueoriginatesfrom<br />
the French part of Switzerland, where it is a national dish. It is<br />
typicallyenjoyedwithcubesofbreadfordunkingandcoldcuts<br />
or a salad are sometimes served beforehand. While fondues vary<br />
across Switzerland, it is the concept of sharing that draws diners<br />
tothedish.“Havingfondueisasocialactivity.Itisaboutsharing<br />
since it brings people together. Often we will have [fondue] for<br />
dinner since people will have more time to enjoy it.”<br />
As jetting around the world becomes more common, so does<br />
the ability to experience different cuisines. Authenticity is<br />
important to Trento, so for Chesa’s classic fondue he uses two<br />
types of cheese – a mixture of mild and strong flavours – along<br />
withatouchofgarlicandwhitewine.Herecommendsbuying<br />
cheese from specialist stores rather than supermarkets since<br />
freshcheeseisthesecrettoagoodfondue.“Agoodcheese<br />
should be around one year old. It can’t be too old or it will be<br />
too salty,” he says.<br />
Themeltedcheesemustbecontinuouslystirredsoitdoesn’t<br />
burn.However,foratrulyauthenticfinishtothemeal,Trento<br />
recommends letting the last bit of cheese crisp up and turn<br />
golden brown at the bottom of the pot. Called la religieuse<br />
(French for “nun”), this cheesy crust has a crunchy bite. It is<br />
also common to add an egg to la religieuse to make a cheesy<br />
scrambled egg.<br />
It’s not the only fondue tradition. “Anyone who loses his bread<br />
inthefonduehastobuyaroundofdrinksforthetable,”he<br />
says. It is traditionally paired with wine or alcoholic black tea<br />
tocutthroughthegreasygoodness.AccordingtoSwisslore,<br />
other liquids, water included, will cause the melted cheese to<br />
coagulateinyourstomachandcauseindigestion.Trento’sfinal<br />
tipistohavefunandenjoysharingthisgreatdish.“Fondueis<br />
averyeasydishtomake,butitisabouttheatmosphereandthe<br />
company you bring that makes the cheese fondue experience<br />
different,” he says.
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