Raclette in raclette dining is on relaxed and sociable eating and drinking, the meal often running to several hours. French and other European supermarkets generally stock both the grill apparatus and ready-sliced cheese and charcuterie selections, especially around Christmas. Restaurants also provide raclette evenings for parties or dinners. Raclette cheese is native from Valais and benefits from PDO. Today raclette is made in various regions and countires of the world, including Swiss, France (Savoy, Franche-Comté, Auvergne, Bretagne...), Austria, Germany, Finland, Australia, Canada, United States... The "vercouline" is a raclette in which Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is used. In Franche-Comté, the Bleu de
Types of cheese Types of cheese Types of cheese are grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentating, texture, methods of making, fat content, animal milk, country or region of origin, etc. The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further narrowed down by fat content and curing or ripening methods. The criteria may either be used singly or in combination, with no single method being universally used. The combination of types produces around 50 different varieties recognized by the International Dairy Federation, over 400 identified by Walter and Hargrove, over 500 by