Raclette Suisse®
Updated: 1 November 2026
Short answer: a semi-hard cow's milk raclette cheese made by the members of the Raclette Suisse association, ripened for 3 to 6 months, plain or flavoured [1].
Profile
| Feature | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Raclette Suisse® is the "guarantee brand" under which members of the Raclette Suisse association make their cheese. | [1] |
| Milk | Cow's milk [5]. The association says "Either raw or pasteurised milk is used to make raclette cheese" [2]; Swissmilk names raw, thermised or pasteurised milk [6]; the Cheesefinder lists pasteurised milk [5]. | [2], [5], [6] |
| Region | Grisons, Eastern Switzerland, Bern region, Western Switzerland, Central Switzerland. | [5] |
| Type | Semi-hard cheese, full fat, at least 45 % fat. | [1], [5] |
| Rennet | Animal rennet. | [5] |
| Ripening | 3 to 6 months [1] at 10 to 12 °C [2]; the Cheesefinder gives 3 to 5 months [5]. "naturally ripened for at least 3 months" [3]. | [1], [2], [3], [5] |
| Varieties | Traditional natural cheese, cave-aged, organic, with pepper, paprika, herbs, garlic and more. | [1] |
| Rind | The lubricating water used in the cellar "is partly responsible for the typical yellow rind, aroma and smell". | [2] |
| Taste | "spicy-pure with a typical aroma" and "a fine, creamy consistency" [3]; in the Cheesefinder "Aromatic, Mild" [5]. | [3], [5] |
Melting
- Before you start: take the cheese out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before eating. You can scrape the rind a little, but do not cut it off, because it turns crispy as it melts [4].
- Pan: let the cheese melt "but not for too long", so that the aroma can develop "without fat separation" [4].
- Electric pan grill: Swissmilk considers pasteurised-milk cheese the better choice here [6].
- What the association claims: it credits raclette cheese with "a unique melting quality unmatched by other cheeses" [1]. Raclette Atlas has not tested this.
What to ask at the counter
- "Is it raw, thermised or pasteurised milk?" The sources show that all three exist [2], [5], [6].
- "Plain or flavoured?" Both exist [1].
- "How long has it ripened?" Usually 3 to 6 months [1].
More: Which cheese for raclette?
Sources
All accessed and checked on 1 November 2026.
- Raclette Suisse, "Our cheese": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/our-cheese
- Raclette Suisse, "Manufacturing": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/manufacturing
- Raclette Suisse, "Swiss raclette cheese: you can also enjoy the rind": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/swiss-raclette-cheese-you-can-also-enjoy-the-rind
- Raclette Suisse, "Preparation": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/preparation
- Switzerland Cheese Marketing, Cheesefinder "Raclette Suisse®": https://www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com/en/cheeses-from-switzerland/cheesefinder/detail/raclette-suisse
- Swissmilk, "20 Dinge, die du über Raclette noch nicht wusstest", points 15 and 17 (in German): https://www.swissmilk.ch/de/rezepte-kochideen/20-dinge-die-du-ueber-raclette-noch-nicht-wusstest/