Street Classic · Scraped Melted Cheese

Raclette

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The dish takes its name from the French verb 'racler' — 'to scrape' — because the cheese is literally scraped off a half-wheel as it melts under a heater.

At Swiss markets, festivals, and mountain chalets, a large wheel of raclette cheese is set cut-side toward a heat source, and as the surface turns molten, a vendor scrapes it directly onto a plate of boiled potatoes, bread, and pickles.

Why it's made this way: The technique began as a practical way for Alpine herders to eat cheese warmed by a fire, and it survives as street food because scraping to order lets a single vendor serve one gooey portion at a time with no kitchen needed.