Raclette: A Meal to Melt your Heart

In Medieval times, Swiss shepherds in the canton of Valais would lead their herds up the mountainside to graze, often for days at a time. Mealtimes needed to be simple, so they built campfires and heated cheese against a rock, then scraped the melted cheese onto plates of potatoes, bread or cured meat. The art of Raclette was born!

The word Raclette comes from the French racler, meaning “to scrape.” The Swiss still use a variation of the shepherds’ technique, melting half-rounds of Raclette by candle or heat lamp and scraping the cheese onto platefuls of pickled vegetables and charcuterie.

Here at home, we’ve adapted the Raclette tradition by preparing the entire meal on a special grill, cooking meats and vegetables on a heated slab then placing them in small melting trays and topping the whole with Raclette cheese.

Try it for yourself with slices of tantalizing OKA Raclette. It’s a delicious way to spend time with friends and family!