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Raclette du Valais AOP: when pleasure melts in your plate
Cheese making in the Alps has a long history and in the Valais, melting cheese in front of a fire has been documented since 1574. Raclette du Valais AOP is thus undeniably part of the Alpine culinary heritage and the Grand Entremont, and its authentic “Bagnes” denomination is the most emblematic region for this traditional cheese.
Raclette du Valais AOP draws its unique flavours from the terroir where it is made. The fresh milk from the region’s cows is brought to the cheese dairies or alpine chalets every day, where it is processed into Raclette du Valais AOP according to an ancient recipe.
In the Greater Entremont area, no less than 600 tonnes of Raclette du Valais AOP are produced by six village dairies and eight mountain pastures. Whether as an aperitif, a picnic, a raclette or a fondue, Raclette du Valais AOP is always a promise of “Taste of the Peaks”.
As the star of the Valais, this famous cheese can be discovered in a thousand and one ways in its region of origin. Visits to cheese dairies, production workshops and tastings of all kinds will allow you to discover what goes on behind the scenes of one of the most famous cheeses in Switzerland.
Raclette du Valais AOP. Enjoy this cheese that will make you melt with pleasure!
Additional information
Plan your visits
Val de Bagnes, Entremont, Valais/Wallis, 1934, Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra
What is Raclette du Valais AOP?
Raclette du Valais AOP, a pure product of the landA little historyProduction of Raclette du Valais AOPTraditional recipe for Raclette du Valais AOPImportant dates to remember
Raclette du Valais AOP, a pure product of the land
Raclette du Valais AOP, produced entirely in the canton of Valais, owes its inimitable taste to the richness of its terroir – which imbues it with vegetal and fruity notes drawn from the flora of the Valais Alps – but also to a Mediterranean climate and a very particular traditional production method.
In order to guarantee the traceability of the cheese, each wheel is engraved with its regional name and a casein mark is applied by the cheesemaker. It is therefore impossible to confuse THE Raclette du Valais AOP with any other raclette cheese!
A little history
Legend has it that the idea of melting Valaisan cheese came to the minds of winegrowers on a cold working day. To fight the cold, they built a fire and gathered to eat their main course of bread, cheese and wine. Léon, a winegrower from the Valais, wanted to eat his cheese hot: he placed it on the fire and melted it. Without even realizing it, he had just created one of the most emblematic dishes of the Valais and of Switzerland in general: raclette.
There was evidence of melting cheese in front of a fire as early as 1574 in the Valais, but it was not until 1874 that the term “Raclette” was officially used.
In order to protect Valais Raclette cheese, whose production outside the Valais borders intensified at the beginning of the 2000s, Valais Raclette was granted a AOP in 2007 and the Interprofession du Raclette du Valais AOP was created at the same time.
Production of Raclette du Valais AOP
- Milk production: The process of making Raclette du Valais AOP begins with the production of the milk. The milk used comes from various breeds of Valais cows – Hérens, Brunes, Simmental, Red Holstein and Tachetées Noires – which hikers may find during a trip to the region. Fed on the hay and grass of the Grand Entremont mountain pastures, they produce high-quality milk that forms an excellent basis for cheese production. The farmers bring their fresh milk to the village cheese dairy daily to be processed into Raclette du Valais AOP.
- Cheese making: It all starts in the cheese vat. The milk is gently heated while stirring constantly. Then the cheesemaker adds rennet and lactic acid bacteria to make the milk coagulate. With a curd cutter, the resulting mass is cut to separate the curds (fine cheese grains) from the whey. When the curd reaches the desired consistency, the paste is poured into the moulds and turned several times during the pressing process, causing the cheese to lose liquid, the whey. During this process, each wheel of cheese is given a quality seal with the identification number of the cheese dairy, its designation of origin (Bagnes, Orsières, Gosmer, etc.) and its production date. This seal will then allow everyone to check whether they are dealing with a genuine Valais Raclette AOP or a pale imitation. The cheese is then immersed in a brine bath. This stage marks the beginning of the formation of the rind.
- Maturing: The maturing process begins after the brine bath. In order to develop their character, the cheeses remain in the cellar for 3 to 6 months. During this time, the master cheesemakers regularly turn the wheels of cheese.
- Quality control: A commission of experts regularly checks the quality of the cheeses according to various criteria. Only cheeses of the highest quality receive the designation “Raclette du Valais AOP “. The entire process of making Raclette du Valais AOP is carried out in the canton of Valais, from the production of the milk to the making of the cheese and its maturation. The cheese dairies in the various villages produce Raclette du Valais AOP according to an ancestral recipe.
- Sale and tasting: The cheese wheels are then sold in the various cheese dairies in the Valais and exported to the four corners of the country (and beyond). The Raclette du Valais AOP is then enjoyed in all its forms – raw, in raclette, in fondue – to the delight of gourmets of all ages.
Traditional recipe for Raclette du Valais AOP
The Interprofession du Raclette du Valais AOP reveals the classic raclette recipe, ideal for sharing a meal with family and friends – whatever the season.
Ingredients for 8 people
- ½ wheel of Raclette du Valais AOP (approx. 2.4 to 2.5 kg)
- 6 kg of small potatoes in their skins
- Pickles (as many as you like)
- Small pickled onions (as desired)
Preparation
- Place the Raclette du Valais AOP under the heating element, leaving a space of at least 6 cm between the cheese and the heat source.
- When the surface of the cheese becomes runny, scrape the melted cheese onto a hot plate with a large knife, tilting the half-wheel toward the plate.
- Originally, Raclette du Valais AOP was melted over a wood fire. Since the invention of stove-top ovens in the 1950s, this method of preparation has become rare. However, in a few restaurants in the Valais, guests can still enjoy a traditional Raclette du Valais AOP, and thus enjoy the typical atmosphere created by the preparation over a wood fire.
Important dates to remember
4th century BC: The existence of Valais cheese is attested.
14th – 19e century AD: Cheese enjoys an excellent reputation. It was used as a currency.
1574: Melted cheese evidenced in the Valais.
16th century: According to legend, raclette was invented in the Valais.
1874: The name “Raclette” is officially used to designate the scraping of the top layer of the melted cheese wheel in contact with heat.
1909: Raclette is presented as the “national dish of the Valais” at the cantonal exhibition in Sion.
1964: During the national exhibition in Lausanne, raclette is discovered and becomes a huge success.
Early 2000s: Raclette production increases outside the borders of the Valais.
2007: Valais Raclette is registered as a AOP. An agreement with the European Union also guarantees its protection in the EU.
2009: The Interprofession du Raclette du Valais AOP is created.
2018: Raclette du Valais AOP is awarded the “Le goût des cimes “ label in the Grand Entremont area.
Regional actors
