A few days ago, RTS showed Chinese president Xi Jinping in Bern eating cheese fondue, a food quite alien to the Chinese palate, although local cheeses can be found in parts of China and it is being eaten increasingly in western foods such as pizza and burgers. From the look on his face in the video it is hard to say whether he enjoyed the cheesy delicacy or not.
A Chinese fondue the Swiss way – © Tetiana Kovalenko | Dreamstime.com
Xi might have preferred the Swiss version of the Chinese hot pot, known in Switzerland as Chinese fondue. In addition, it is a typical winter dish in China, appropriate for this time of the year. According to Swiss supermarket chain Migros, the Chinese fondue is Switzerland’s favourite Christmas dish.
Chinese fondue is a culinary crossover between the two nations. A dish that exists in both China and Switzerland. The Swiss version retains Chinese fungi, but adds extra meat and creamy sauces. The Chinese one uses Chinese flavours such as chili, sesame and soya, and includes a lot more vegetables, but the hot broth, thin cuts of meat and communal pot are common to both.
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