Fondue ( or ; ) is a
Swiss,
Italian, and
French dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot (
caquelon or fondue pot) over a
chafing stand (
réchaud) heated with a candle or
spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted as a Swiss national dish by the
Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s, and was popularized in North America in the 1960s.