I'm surprised, even shocked, that many of you find it so yucky.
I think yo'all are missing the point. Two things spring to mind:
1) This is a real case of the whole not equalling the sum of the parts. You have to appreciate the eating experience for what it is. OK the meat becomes a bit soggy and chewy but the flavours can be re-captured at the end from the bouillon; chuck some chips (frittes) on the table to keep the kids happy, and a few sauces (bought and/or homemade) to give a bit of flavour and Bob's your uncle (or is it Sam?).
2) The reason why the Swiss favour all fondues and raclette for special occasions with guests, is because they can't be ar**d to spend half the day in the kitchen, cooking --no such thing as a free lunch/guests have to work for their supper/D-I-Y./etc.
Leaving this topic for a moment: Tom, do you still not have the facility to edit?
When I first started posting; I noticed no edit button (rather than questioning this, I thought I'd just wait) -- at some point after 30 something posts I noticed it was there.
It's nothing to do with gastronomy or "culinary achievement" it's purely for simplicity.
Lets be perefectly honest, nobody realy likes it and if it wasn't so simple to make, and cheap to buy, nobody would bother with Chinese fondue.
I think this sterotyping is a bit unfair, it's as if I would say Aussies can't cook they only throw some sausages on the BBQ or Americans only ever eat Burgers anyway ......
If you're ever in China, try the real thing. We really liked the 'Beijing' hotpots after our days out in winter.
Plus its fun trying to order in Mandarin when you speak and read none :-) They have alot of variety..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot
Actually, it's not sugars caramelizing, despite the common misuse of that word to cover all browning. In meat, bread, etc. it's actually the amino acids in the proteins browning in something called the Maillard reaction. .Since chinoise doesn't have Maillard going on, it really does miss out on a lot of the flavor, IMHO.
Yes, but I did some searching and discovered an old post that states that one has to be a member for at least a week to be able to edit (and have at least 5 posts, but I'm well past the post count).
Going back to the topic, personally I prefer bourguignonne to chinoise, as does my younger daughter. Anyone who says nobody really likes it, or it takes no work, probably buys frozen pre-sliced meat of unknown quality, and pre-made sauces.
Tom
My argument is that even with good meat and good sauces you are not going to provide a culinary dish, it remains two parts.
I really like cold meat sandwiches with pickles and if they are around, added chips. They taste of something special and have some texture. Fondue Chinoise has the taste and texture of baby food.
Then you are probably overcooking the meat.
Tom
I must be more swiss than I think that I am because I enjoy the Asian version of the fondue chinoise - we call it a hotpot back home. Having not tried the Swiss version (I dont see a reason to), I really cant comment on the difference, but from the way it sounds, except for certain ingredients (and dipping sauces), they are really similar.
Its a leisurely, social event, enjoying each other's company whilst the food's cooked in a simmering pot of lush soup, which gets yummier and yummier as more food is put in there to cook. I Any leftover soup is re-used the next day with noodles or rice. At the end of the day, its up to you to add your own special touch to the whole thing - my mum makes her own sauces, and has her own variety of meats to cook. Neither does she use frozen meat. She buys them fresh on the day itself, and slices them just before the whole event starts.
Usually, as I come from a country on the equator, we have it under sweltering heat on special occasions (like Chinese New Year, someone's birthday etc), so I am really looking forward to having one on a cold Xmas eve, and a few more over the winter. nom nom.
Now a nice cheese Fondue, motier-motier (Gruyère & Vacherin) on the Cheese Restaurant Alps at Moléson is something on another planet!
http://www.moleson.ch/rubrique/activites/fromageries/
http://www.fromagerie-alpage.ch/fr/i...p?page=accueil
http://map.search.ch/d/tdhymi0mz
Give it a try ! It normally should be excellent. Difficult to say what that place in Detroit did wrong, But it normally should be good.
A Fondue Chinoise is to be fairly spicy, and many different sauces are THE point about it.
I say the following to be useful, not pedantic (though I am a pedant).
The cheese fondue you are referring to is "moitié-moitié" (half and half, pronounced "mwatee-ay"). It's just if you go into a restaurant and ask for "motier motier" (mottier-mottier), then you may have some problems, depending on how sensitive the waiter's ear is to foreign accents.
You are right, however... moitié-moitié is subliiiime!!!
Well this thread became a useful tool to explain my position to my Swiss friend. Apparently the fondue chinoise I had in Detroit, was in fact, disgusting. As the meat was chunky, the bouillon actually dried it out. And the vegetables, rrrrrrrrrrrrr, they were the next step from raw. The restauranteurs were actually Dutch, after I looked into it, but I am not sure that changed anything or not.
So I will try it, but am looking forward to tricking out the traditional aspect of it. They are pretty open minded people, and have to be on the far end of the extreme side of open mindedness for Swiss people.
I dunno...maybe Ill show up with some Cholula and Ancho Mayo for sauces on my end. Anything coated with that stuff makes it winner for me when I can't disern the true quality of it.
What is very good about a meat fondue is the delicious soup after the meal.
Wolli, can you or anyone tell me what alcohol the Swiss traditionally add to the liquid at the end?
Perfect for a cold snowy night