The Alps refers to the mountain range covering parts of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, as well as Slovenia, Liechtenstein, and Monaco. But “Alpine cheese” doesn’t refer to just any cheese coming from these regions. The term specifically refers to the giant wheels (some averaging 70 to 80 pounds) famous for their elastic and meltable texture, which is achieved by a particular cheesemaking process that slows down acidification. The process also requires less salt, a rare commodity in the mountains centuries ago when this cheese got it start.

And long before skiing became a high-end recreation rather than a way to get around, townspeople came together to share these giant wheels of cheese in order to make it through the Alpine winters, melting wedges over the fire and dolloping onto post-harvest staples like potatoes, cured meats, and pickles. This tradition has led us through the generations to some of the best things you’d see on a European après-ski menu today.

Raclette: Scraped Cheese

All you need is a wedge of Raclette, a heat source, and some vehicles for cheese: bread, potatoes, pickles, and cured meats are traditional. There are melting machines requiring a 3-to-4-pound wedge of Raclette, which you scrape as it melts, directly onto your favorite foods. If you don’t have a Raclette melter, no sweat! Just add chunks of cheese onto bread or cooked potatoes, pop in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble, then garnish with cornichons and chow down.

Fondue: Melted Cheese

Fondue simply means “melted” in French. If you like tweaking and perfecting recipes to get your ideal results, this can be a fun rabbit hole to go down! As with Raclette, there is specialized equipment for making fondue, but it’s not an absolute requirement. Double boiler pots, cast iron pots, and crockpots can be substituted. Below are a few classic fondues:

• Fondue Savoyarde (Rhône Alps, France): Made with one or a combination of cheeses like Gruyère, Beaufort, Abondance, and Emmenthaler, with white wine, kirsch, garlic, and nutmeg added.
• Moitié-Moitié (Fribourg, Switzerland): Meaning half-and-half, this recipe calls for equal parts Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, with black pepper or cayenne pepper instead of nutmeg.
• Comté Fondue (Jura, France): This traditional recipe is just Comté, Côtes de Jura white wine, garlic, and nutmeg.
• Fonduta (Valle d’Aosta, Italy): Fontina is the melter of choice for this version from northwestern Italy, with cream instead of white wine, eggs, and black truffle to garnish.

No matter which recipe you try, the key is slow and gentle heating so the cheese doesn’t split. Also, be sure to grate your cheese for a faster smoother melt, and use slightly stale bread for dipping, as it holds up better.

French Onion Soup: with Cheese of Course!

Most people have heard of French onion soup, but non-chefs (like me) may not realize this classic is a true labor of love. It sounds simple–the main ingredients are onions, croutons, and cheese. But, you need about five pounds of onions, and after you slice all of them while crying onion tears, they must be slow-cooked and stirred frequently for upwards of forty minutes in order to achieve that perfect caramelization. Once that’s done and you’ve added in the beef broth, butter, herbs, and sherry, the real fun comes. Instead of just topping with croutons, cheese, and serving, you pour the soup into individual heat-safe ramekins, add the croutons and grated cheese (ideally Gruyère or Comté), then broil in the oven for a browned and bubbling finish. I think the results will be well worth the effort.

Soupe de Chalet: Vegetable Soup with Cheese

While this was originally only a summer soup when fresh greens were in abundance in the Swiss mountains and the nights were still cold, modern grocery stores have made Soupe de Chalet a wonderful winter soup as well–especially if you might need a break from fondue and cured meats. It of course includes après-ski staples like potatoes, onions, cream, and Gruyère, as well as macaroni, spinach, fresh herbs, and even nettles, which would have been readily available in the mountains. If nettles aren’t your cup of tea, many people today add carrots, leeks, and kohlrabi instead (all great Gruyère pairings).

Mulled Wine

This is another beverage that every culture (or at least every cold-climate wine-drinking culture) has a version of–glühwein, bisschopswijn, glögg, gløgg, glintvine, vin chaud, and vino caliente to name just a few. Recipes are passed down through the generations, and even differ from house to house in the same town, so there’s not really a right or wrong way to make hot spiced wine. However, I did find a recipe from Valais, Switzerland for a little Alpine authenticity. Lower and Central Valais speaks French, while Upper Valais speaks German, so I’m not sure if this should be called vin chaud or glühwein, but I’m sure it will be delicious in any language.