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The great cheese fondue conspiracy theory

Richard Cornish
Richard Cornish

Fondue became a hit in the 1970s thanks to canny marketing.
Fondue became a hit in the 1970s thanks to canny marketing.Shutterstock

I've heard that cheese fondue is a modern conspiracy. M. Craig

Eggs have porous shells and can absorb odours from pungent food nearby.
Eggs have porous shells and can absorb odours from pungent food nearby.Marina Oliphant
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Next you'll be suggesting Elvis wasn't at the moon landing. The things that go on in people's Alfoil-covered minds. I think you are referring to an episode of Planet Money broadcast on America's National Public Radio about five years ago called The Fondue Conspiracy. In that episode it is claimed that fondue became popular only after a campaign by a Swiss cheese cartel, Schweizerische Kaseunion. The sales and marketing organisation, which did exist, controlled the manufacture of easy-to-melt emmental and gruyere and publicised recipes for the hot, liquid cheese/wine dish at the expense of other Swiss cheeses that were fresh, soft, mould-ripened or washed rind. Fondue does not go back to Roman times, as expostulated in the comic Asterix in Switzerland by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The first mention of the word "fondue" was in a 1600s cookbook, but it refers to a cheesy omelette-like dish. The dish of melted cheese with wine or kirsch dates back to the late 1800s and became popular in the 1900s, when cornstarch could be added to make a smoother fondue. In the 1930s the Schweizerische Kaseunion produced recipes to promote cheese sales and funded tastings at American fairs in the late 1960s, which powered fondue's prominence in the '70s.

My eggs smell fishy. D. Rance

That is unfortunate. But not your fault – unless you are storing your eggs in the fridge next to fish. Eggs have porous shells and can absorb odours from pungent food nearby, which is why you store eggs and truffles together. Truffled egg – delicious. It could be that the farmer was feeding the birds fish meal. What animals eat effects the flavour of their eggs, milk and meat. More likely, however, is the farmer was using flaxseed in the feed mix. Flaxseed contains alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based version of omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 is found in fish and, when exposed to air, is one of the compounds that gives fish its distinctive aroma. It is nothing to be concerned about.

Correspondence

We recently had a little piece about the evils of imported bacon being injected with brine to make it heavier and how hard it was to get crisp. A. Butcher, and yes that is her real name, wrote, "For crisp bacon, try this method. Don't buy bacon that's been injected with water and chemicals." I concur. Visit your local butcher and ask if they make their own bacon or try the local farmers' market. For another reader, the mention of crisp bacon brought up some painful childhood memories. R. Smith wrote, "The biggest fight which my mother had with her teenage sons was over crispy bacon. She had grown up being taught that that was the way to do it. She ended in tears, and we had to cook for a week. I cook my bacon for flavour, not for breaking teeth." In the words of Brillat Savarin, "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are".

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Send your vexing culinary conundrums to brainfood@richardcornish.com.au or tweet to @Realbrainfood.

Brain Food by Richard Cornish is out now from MUP (RRP $19.99, eBook $11.99).

Richard CornishRichard Cornish writes about food, drinks and producers for Good Food.

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