Which cheese for raclette? AOP, Raclette Suisse or the supermarket
Updated: 1 November 2026
Short answer: Swissmilk suggests keeping raw-milk cheese for the fire or the raclette oven; Raclette du Valais AOP from the canton of Valais is always made from raw milk [1][2]. For an electric tabletop grill with small pans, Swissmilk says cheese made from pasteurised milk works better, because raw-milk cheese loses a relatively large amount of fat, and with it flavour, that way [2]. That kind of cheese is sold as Swiss raclette cheese, for example under the Raclette Suisse® brand [3][4].
For how much cheese to buy per person, see Raclette: how much cheese and potatoes per person?.
The two groups at a glance
| Raclette du Valais AOP | Swiss raclette cheese (e.g. Raclette Suisse®) | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | canton of Valais for milk, cheesemaking and ripening (only exception: the Spittelmatten alp in Kandersteg BE) [1] | Western, Eastern and Central Switzerland, Graubünden, Bern region [2][4] |
| Milk | raw cow's milk only [1] | raw, thermised or pasteurised milk [2]; for the Raclette Suisse® brand, the Swiss cheese database lists pasteurised milk [4] |
| Ingredients | only water, salt, rennet, lactic and smear cultures [1] | also sold with pepper, paprika, herbs, garlic, cave-aged or organic [3] |
| Rennet | animal calf rennet only [1] | Raclette Suisse®: animal rennet [4] |
| Ripening | at least 3 months [1] | Raclette Suisse®: 3 to 6 months [3] |
| Wheel | 29–32 cm, 4.6–5.8 kg [1] | – |
| Protection | protected designation of origin, registered 21.12.2007 [6] | a brand; cheese from the rest of Switzerland may also be called "raclette" [2] |
"–" means not found in the sources we checked.
Choose by how you melt it
- Half wheel under a raclette oven or by a wood fire: for the fire or the raclette grill, Swissmilk recommends raw-milk cheese [2]. The producers' original recipe uses ½ wheel of Raclette du Valais AOP (about 2.4 to 2.5 kg) for 8 people [7]. To borrow an oven, see Renting a raclette oven.
- Tabletop grill with pans: here Swissmilk says pasteurised-milk cheese works better [2]. The Raclette du Valais body disagrees in part: its AOP cheese can also be made in pans, as long as it is not heated too strongly or for too long [5][7]. More on pans: Raclette pans.
- For variety: flavoured versions exist only among Swiss raclette cheeses [3]. Raclette du Valais AOP is always plain, because its specification allows only water, salt, rennet and cultures [1].
At the supermarket
According to the Valais producers' body, Raclette du Valais AOP is sold in retail shops, cheese shops and larger shopping centres, naming Coop, Migros, Manor, Spar, Aligro, Volg and Aldi [5]. It comes as a whole wheel, a half wheel, a cut piece or in slices [8].
Only cheese that meets the specification may be called "Raclette du Valais AOP" [1][2]. Other raclette cheese can be made from raw, thermised or pasteurised milk [2]. You can ask about the milk and the rennet type at the counter (see below).
What to ask at the cheese counter
- "Is this Raclette du Valais AOP?" Raclette du Valais AOP has a place name stamped into the side of the wheel and a casein mark [1][8]. Examples from the specification: "Bagnes 98" (Etiez/Vollèges), "Gomser 55" (Grengiols), "Orsieres", "Anniviers" [1].
- "Raw or pasteurised milk?" For pans, Swissmilk says pasteurised works better [2].
- "Can I have a half wheel, and how heavy is it?" A whole Valais wheel weighs 4.6 to 5.8 kg [1]; the half wheel in the original recipe about 2.4 to 2.5 kg [7]. Ask for the exact weight and use the quantity guide.
- "Sliced or in one piece?" AOP is sold both ways [8].
- "How long has it ripened?" AOP at least 3 months [1]; Raclette Suisse® 3 to 6 months [3].
- "What rennet is it made with?" Useful for guests who avoid calf rennet. AOP: calf rennet only [1]. Raclette Suisse®: animal rennet [4].
FAQ
Can only Valais cheese be called "raclette"? No. Valais dairy farmers lost that case at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2007. Only "Raclette du Valais AOP" is protected [2].
Is Raclette du Valais AOP always raw-milk cheese? Yes. The specification requires raw cow's milk [1], and it is not pasteurised [5].
What does it taste like? The Swiss PDO-PGI Association describes it as rather mild, milky and fresh, with vegetal and fruity notes [8].
Sources (accessed 1 November 2026)
- Specification (Pflichtenheft) Walliser Raclette AOP, 2026 version, Art. 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 11 (PDF, in German): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/files/dateien/Plichtenheft%20/Raclette%20du%20Valais%20PH-Pflichtenheft_2026.pdf
- Swissmilk, "20 Dinge, die du über Raclette noch nicht wusstest", points 14, 15 and 17 (in German): https://www.swissmilk.ch/de/rezepte-kochideen/20-dinge-die-du-ueber-raclette-noch-nicht-wusstest/
- Raclette Suisse, "Our cheese": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/our-cheese
- Cheeses from Switzerland (Switzerland Cheese Marketing), Cheesefinder "Raclette Suisse®": https://www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com/en/cheeses-from-switzerland/cheesefinder/detail/raclette-suisse
- Raclette du Valais AOP, "Raclettegenuss" (in German; raw milk, points of sale, ovens): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/raclettegenuss
- Swiss PDO-PGI Association, "Walliser Raclette AOP": https://www.aop-igp.ch/en/walliser-raclette-aop/page
- Raclette du Valais AOP, original recipe (in German): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/rezepte/originalrezept
- Swiss PDO-PGI Association, "Raclette du Valais AOP" (in French; forms of sale, stamp and casein mark, taste): https://www.aop-igp.ch/fr/raclette-du-valais-aop/page