Since we are continually pouring new cheese on top of our food, it is always perfectly warm and perfectly melty.
The strong scent of raclette can be daunting, but I will try anything once! When I tasted it for the first time, I knew that this would have to become a regular thing. I have always considered myself a cheese-lover, however I started to doubt that when I came here. For example, strong and earthy cheeses are common in France, whereas I find most people will opt for processed cheese over anything with mold in the U.S. I think you could even go your whole life eating rindless cheese there, whereas nearly every slice here contains the rind. Raclette cheese can be compared to gruyere (a hard swiss cheese from Switzerland). It is quite acidic, which I liked, and I was excited to see how it interacted with everything else on the table -- think of that one scene from Ratatouille.
My first time having raclette was in October, which is probably the first month of the year where it is considered an "appropriate" time to have the dish, as it is typically reserved for the cold months. My favorite part about having a raclette evening is gathering around the table with all my friends. We can chat for hours at the table, all while passing around different foods, drinks and cheeses for all to try. For this reason, we have had raclette to welcome parents to our apartment, to celebrate birthdays and for a class get-together.
