In Alsace we're close enough to the Alps and Switzerland that fondue is a normal winter dinner, not a party trick. In Canada, the cold is on our side; the cheese takes a little more planning.
Which Canadian cheese can stand in for Beaufort and Comté?
Fondue savoyarde is made with Beaufort, Comté and Emmental de Savoie, and Beaufort is rarely sold here. Swiss Gruyère and Emmental, half and half, are the closest cheeses you can buy at a supermarket. Buying 800 g of imported wedges for one dinner adds up, so Oka, the Quebec washed-rind cheese, can replace up to half the pot, for a creamier, stronger fondue.
For my own fondue, the best option is a French or European cheese shop: you can ask for Comté, Gruyère and Emmental by name, have them cut to the weight you need, and ask for a taste. It costs more than the supermarket, but it's the closest I get to a fondue from home. I haven't made it with Oka myself, so treat that version as the budget option rather than the Alpine one.
On a busy night, ready-made Swiss fondue packs are surprisingly not bad. Look in the specialty cheese case for a 400 g Swiss pack such as Emmi Fondu Original, with the wine and kirsch already in: Voilà by Sobeys lists it, and some other chains carry similar kits. One pack is dinner for two. Rub the pot with garlic first and grind pepper over it at the end, as you would for your own.
The cheese guide compares Oka with the imported wedges.
Why fondue splits, and how to stop it
It goes wrong two ways: too hot, and it splits into oil and rubber; cheese added too fast, and it turns into one big lump. Keep the wine below a simmer and add the cheese a handful at a time. The acid in a dry white wine helps keep the cheese smooth, which is why the wine has to be dry and crisp.
