Raclette is a semi-hard cheese made on both sides of the French and Swiss Alps. Valais Raclette or Fromage a Raclette, as they are traditionally called, are made using ancestral methods with unpasteurised milk of cows grazing on the alpine meadows. The name Raclette comes from the French word ‘racler’, which means ‘to scrape’. The cheese has got a thin, brownish-orange coloured rind and a pale yellow pate with a few and scattered open holes. It is has a very distinctive pleasant, aromatic smell with a creamy texture, similar to Gruyere cheeses, which does not separate even when melted. The flavour can vary from nutty, slightly acidic to milky.

While Switzerland supplies 80% of Raclettes, French Raclettes are slightly softer with a smooth and creamy flavour. Raclette is also the name of a Swiss dish where the cheese is melted in front of a fire or a special machine and the melted parts are scraped onto diner’s plates. It is then served with small potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and air dried meat called Viande des Grisons. Raclette comes in round and square shapes and can be served with Vin de Savoie.

• Made from unpasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: France and Switzerland
• Region: Valais
• Family: Swiss Cheese
• Type: semi-hard, artisan
• Fat content: 50%
• Texture: creamy, firm, open and smooth
• Rind: natural
• Colour: pale yellow
• Flavour: acidic, milky, nutty, sweet
• Aroma: aromatic, fruity, pleasant
• Vegetarian: no
• Alternative spellings: Valais Raclette

Other French cheeses:

• hard cheeses: Ardi Gasna, Cantal, Chevre, Crottin de Chavignol, Crottin du Chavignol, Essex Comté, Etorki, Istara Kaikou, Sancerre, Tomme Brulee
• semi-hard cheeses: Abbaye de Belloc, Abbaye de Belval, Abbaye de Timadeuc, Abondance, Aubisque Pyrenees, Babybel, Bergues, Bethmale des Pyrenees, Brebis du Lavort, Cantal, ... show all ... , Comte, Esbareich, Fourme de Montbrison, Fresh Truffles, Istara Chistou, La Couronne - Fort Aged Comté, Laguiole, Matocq, Mimolette (Boule de Lille), Ossau Fermier, Pas de l'Escalette, Petit Pardou, President Madrigal , P'tit Basque, Salers, Tomme de Romans, Tourmalet, Trappiste de Bricquebec, Trou du Cru, Zelu Koloria
• semi-soft cheeses: Abbaye de Citeaux, Abbaye du Mont des Cats, Aisy Cendre, Ambert, Ami du Chambertin, Aromes au Gene de Marc, Baskeriu, Beaumont, Beemster 2% Milk, Bleu d'Auvergne, ... show all ... , Bleu Des Causses, Brie de Melun, Brillat-Savarin, Brin, Brin d'Amour, Calenzana, Chabichou du Poitou, Charolais, Chaumes, Chevre, Dauphin, Fleur du Maquis, Fresh Truffles, Fromage de Montagne de Savoie, Langres, La Vache Qui Rit, Le Brebiou, Le Brin, Lou Palou, Mamirolle, Monastery Cheeses, Mont D'or Lyonnais, Morbier, Morbier Cru de Montagne, Murol, Neufchatel, Pave d'Auge, Port-Salut, Reblochon, Rocamadour, Rollot, Roquefort, Sainte Maure, Saint-Nectaire, Saint-Paulin, Sourire Lozerien, Tamie, Tomme de Chevre, Tomme de Savoie, Tommes, Trappiste d'Igny
• soft cheeses: Affidelice au Chablis, Alpicrème, Amalthée, Anneau du Vic-Bilh, Baby Brie, Baguette Laonnaise, Banon, Barberey, Belletoile, Bleu de Laqueuille, ... show all ... , Bougon, Boule Du Roves, Bourdin Goat Log, Boursault, Boursin, Bouyssou, Brebirousse d'Argental, Brebis du Puyfaucon, Bresse Bleu, Brie, Brie au poivre (Brie with pepper), Brie de Meaux, Briquette de Brebis, Briquette du Forez, Brousse du Rove, Buche de Chevre, Bûchette à la Sarriette, Buchette d'Anjou, Butte, Cabecou, Cachaille, Camembert, Camembert de Normandie, Cancoillotte (Cancoyotte), Caprice des Dieux, Carre de l'Est, Cathelain, Cendre d'Olivet, Chabichou du Poitou, Chabis de Gatine, Chaource, Chaumes, Chavroux, Chevre, Chevrotin des Aravis, Civray, Coeur de Camembert au Calvados, Coeur de Chevre, Coulommiers, Couronne Lochoise, Crayeux de Roncq, Cure Nantais, Delice de Bourgogne, Delice des Fiouves, Dreux a la Feuille, Epoisses de Bourgogne, Explorateur, Figue, Filetta, Fin-de-Siecle, Fondant de Brebis, Fontainebleau, Fougerus, Fourme de Haute Loire, Fresh Truffles, Frinault, Fromage Corse, Galette du Paludier, Galette Lyonnaise, Gastanberra, Gourmandise, Grand Vatel, Grataron d' Areches, Gratte-Paille, Greuilh, Gris de Lille, Guerbigny, Kiri, Laruns, La Taupiniere, L'Aveyronnais, Le Chevrot, L'Ecir de l'Aubrac, Le Conquerant Camembert, Le Conquerant Demi Pont L'eveque , Le Duc Vacherin, Le Fium Orbo, Le Lacandou, Le Marquis Chevre, Lingot des Causses, Lingot Saint Bousquet d'Orb, Livarot, Lou Pevre, Macconais, Margotin, Maroilles, Monastery Cheeses, Mothais a la Feuille, Munster, Nantais, Niolo, Olivet au Foin, Olivet Bleu, Olivet Cendre, Palet de Babligny, Pate de Fromage, Patefine Fort, Pave de Chirac, Pelardon des Cevennes, Pelardon des Corbieres, Perail de Brebis, Picodon de Chevre, Pigouille, Pithtiviers au Foin, Poivre d'Ane, Pont l'Eveque, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Pourly, President Brie, President Light Brie, P'tit Berrichon, Pyramide, Quatre-Vents, Quercy Petit, Regal de la Dombes, Rigotte, Rochebaron, Romans Part Dieu, Rouleau De Beaulieu, Rustinu, Saint Agur, Saint Albray, Saint-André, Saint Félicien, Saint-Marcellin, Selles sur Cher, Soumaintrain, Tomme des Chouans, Tommes, Touree de L'Aubier, Trappe de la Coudre, Vacherin, Valencay, Venaco, Vieux Corse, Vignotte
• fresh firm cheeses: Président Fresh Goat Cheese
• fresh soft cheeses: Autun, Boulette d'Avesnes, Brocciu, Cabecou Feuille D'Armagnac, Fromage Frais, Le Roule, Mascares, Pave d'Affinois, Petit-Suisse, Roule, Vendomois

Other cheeses from Switzerland:

• hard cheeses: Affineur Walo Le Gruyère AOC Extra Mature, Affineur Walo Rotwein Sennechäs, Appenzeller, Challerhocker, Cremig Extra Würzig, Bergkäse Aus Dem Schweizer Jura, Emmental, Gruyere, Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP, Piora, Rotwein Bärgler Extra-Würzig, Saanenkaese, Sbrinz
• semi-hard cheeses: Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP, La Couronne - Fort Aged Comté, Royalp Tilsit, Sweet Style Swiss, Tete de Moine, Zartschmelzend, Kräftig Würziger Rahm-Hartkäse
• semi-soft cheeses: Don Olivo, Forsterkase, Käse Mit Schweizer Trüffeln, Monastery Cheeses, Tommes, Vacherin Fribourgeois
• soft cheeses: Emental Grand Cru, Monastery Cheeses, Tommes, Vacherin