In brief: Swiss raclette from outside Valais is made in dozens of dairies across the country, and the Raclette Suisse® guarantee mark association brings 43 of them together. It is the cheese for raclette grills with pans, round or square, plain or flavored, with no additives and no genetically modified rennet, according to the association.

Page checked on 11/02/2026 against the official websites of producers and trade associations. Do you make this cheese? Write to us to be listed in the directory.

Fact sheet: Raclette Suisse

CountrySwitzerland
Regionall of Switzerland (dairies in central, eastern and French-speaking Switzerland and in the Alps), outside the Valais designation
Designationno PDO; Raclette Suisse® guarantee mark of the Verein Raclette Suisse, registered in 1997, association founded in 1994 (raclette-suisse.ch)
Milkcow, raw or pasteurized depending on the dairy (Swiss milk)
Texturepressed, uncooked, semi-hard
Aging3 to 6 months in a cellar at 10-12 °C (50-54 °F), rubbed with morge (water, salt and bacteria)
Shaperound wheel or square block of 28 to 35 cm, 5.5 to 8.5 cm high, 4.8 to 7.5 kg (Raclette Suisse® mark regulations)
Tastemild (plain) to full-bodied (surchoix, cave-aged)
Melt5/5: it is what it was made for, it melts evenly in the pan without separating

Its story

Before it was a cheese, raclette was a gesture: heating a half wheel by the fire and scraping off what melts. The Raclette Suisse association points out that shepherds in central Switzerland were already doing this in the 12th century, and that the first written mention dates from 1574, in Valais. In the 20th century the dish came down from the alpine pastures to the valleys and became a national meal. Around 1970 raclette grills with little pans arrived, and with them the square blocks, designed to drop right into the pan, which has saved many an evening and a few tablecloths. In 1994, Swiss raclette makers joined forces in the Verein Raclette Suisse to promote the cheese and protect a shared mark, registered as a guarantee mark in 1997. The association, based in Bern, had 43 member dairies in 2025. Swiss raclette cheese production reached 16,613 tonnes in 2025, up from 8,943 tonnes in 1994.

Taste and melt: what happens in the pan

Swiss raclette cheese is made for one thing and does it well: melting. In a pan it puffs up, blankets the potatoes and keeps a smooth texture instead of giving up its fat like a badly raised supermarket cheese. The plain version tastes milky and round, with a slightly tangy edge. Older cheeses, called surchoix, pick up notes of butter and hazelnut, and cave aging adds a deeper, almost mushroomy side. The association states that the rind is edible and that the cheese is naturally lactose-free, under 0.1 g per 100 g, because the lactose disappears during aging. The Swiss also have a soft spot for flavored versions: pepper, paprika, garlic, herbs, chili, truffle, and even pumpkin-seed curry from some award-winning cheesemakers. According to the producers, these versions go best with simple sides.

On the nose and palate: milky and mild in the plain version, stronger in surchoix or cave-aged; many flavored versions (pepper, paprika, garlic, herbs, truffle)

How to serve it

Plan on 200 g (7 oz) of cheese per person, 250 g (9 oz) for big appetites or the day after a hike. With a raclette grill, the square format cut into slices 3 to 4 mm thick is the most practical; take it out of the fridge half an hour ahead. Let it melt until the surface bubbles and starts to turn golden, but stop before it becomes crispy cheese that sticks to the pan. If you have a half-wheel melter, a round plain or surchoix wheel will do the job. Potatoes in their skins, pickles, pearl onions, cured meat: the classic quartet. For variety, slip mushrooms, pears or cherry tomatoes under the cheese. A bottle of Chasselas or a hot tea goes well with it all; cold water at the table remains a topic of national debate.

Pairings

  • Wines: Chasselas from Vaud or Fribourg, Müller-Thurgau from eastern Switzerland, light Pinot noir, black tea or hot herbal tea
  • On the table: potatoes in their skins, pickles and pickled onions, cured meat and bacon, pears and pineapple for the adventurous, pan-fried mushrooms

Our recipes with this cheese

  • Traditional raclette, the basic recipe
  • Half-wheel raclette at home
  • Raclette-style grilled open sandwiches

How much should you buy? Our guide to raclette cheese quantities per person does the math, and our comparison of the best raclette cheeses stacks it up against the others.

Raclette Suisse producers: the directory

Four families of producers, from the giants to the small alpine pastures. Contact details taken from their official websites; logos are displayed from those sites, with credit.

The biggest producers

The largest volumes: industrial producers and big cooperatives.

Emmi (Emmi AG / Emmi Schweiz AG)

Lucerne, Switzerland

Switzerland’s leading dairy group, a member of the Verein Raclette Suisse and represented on its board since 2025.

Logo Elsa Group SA (fromagerie d'Oey, Diemtigtal)

Elsa Group SA (fromagerie d'Oey, Diemtigtal)

Oey (Diemtigtal), Switzerland

Dairy group of Migros Industrie whose Oey dairy processes about 50 million kg of milk a year, two thirds of it into cheese, mostly raclette (Plattform J, 2025).

  • Website: migrosindustrie.ch/elsagroup/en
  • Contact: form
  • Distinction: Diploma at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2026, Raclette and Bratkäse category, for the Raclette Simmental Switzerland (source: https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)

Logo : © Elsa Group SA (fromagerie d'Oey, Diemtigtal), displayed from its official website.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

Logo Cremo SA (marque Mazot)

Cremo SA (marque Mazot)

Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland

The Mazot brand, launched in 1993, offers a Classic raclette made with IP-Suisse milk, a Mountain raclette aged in Sierre and a Surchoix aged at least 4 months.

  • Address: Route de Moncor 6, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 26 407 21 11
  • Email: info@cremo.ch
  • Website: cremo.ch/fr
  • Contact: form
  • Social: LinkedIn
  • Distinction: Bronze label at the World Cheese Awards 2024 for the Mazot Surchoix (source: https://cremo.ch/en/groupe/nos-marques/mazot/)

Logo : © Cremo SA (marque Mazot), displayed from its official website.

Logo Seiler Käserei AG

Seiler Käserei AG

Giswil, Switzerland

Dairy in Obwalden since 1928, known for its cave-aged raclette and its many flavored versions.

  • Address: Industriestrasse 45, 6074 Giswil, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 41 660 80 40
  • Email: kontakt@seilerkaese.ch
  • Website: seilerkaese.ch
  • Social: Facebook · Instagram
  • Distinction: Best flavored raclette at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2022 for its green pepper raclette, according to the producer (source: https://www.seilerkaese.ch/) ; SCA 2026 diplomas for Seiler Raclette cave-aged, Surchoix and Paprika (source: https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)

Logo : © Seiler Käserei AG, displayed from its official website.

The most renowned

Medalists, award winners or renowned affineurs, with a sourced distinction.

Logo Wildberg Käse AG

Wildberg Käse AG

Wildberg, Switzerland

Zurich dairy and member of Raclette Suisse, rewarded in 2026 for its plain raclette and versions with roasted onions, garlic and mustard.

  • Address: Wildbergstrasse 6, 8489 Wildberg, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 52 385 11 44
  • Email: info@wildbergkaese.ch
  • Website: wildbergkaese.ch
  • Contact: form
  • Social: Facebook · Instagram
  • Distinction: Four diplomas at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2026: Raclette nature, Raclette Röstzwiebeln, Raclette Knoblauch, Raclette Senf (Roland Rüegg) (source : https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)

Logo : © Wildberg Käse AG, displayed from its official website.

Strähl Käse AG

Siegershausen, Switzerland

Family business from Thurgau, a member of Raclette Suisse, producing raclette, fondue and semi-hard cheeses.

  • Address: Bahnhofstrasse 1, 8573 Siegershausen, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 71 678 11 11
  • Email: info@straehl.ch
  • Website: straehl.ch
  • Contact: form
  • Social: Instagram · LinkedIn
  • Distinction: Diplomas at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2026 for Raclette Surchoix, Raclette Pfeffer and Raclette Knoblauch (Peter Strähl) (source : https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)
Logo Imlig Käserei Oberriet AG

Imlig Käserei Oberriet AG

Oberriet, Switzerland

Village dairy at the foot of the Alpstein, which makes, among other things, a square-block raclette, plain or with truffle.

  • Address: Staatsstrasse 163, 9463 Oberriet SG, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 71 761 11 10
  • Email: info@imlig.com
  • Website: imlig.com
  • Contact: form
  • Social: Facebook · Instagram
  • Distinction: Diplomas at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2026 for Raclette Natur eckig and Raclette eckig Trüffel (Urs Imlig) (source : https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)

Logo : © Imlig Käserei Oberriet AG, displayed from its official website.

Small local producers

Farms, alpine pastures and village dairies.

Küssnachter Dorfkäserei GmbH

Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland

Village dairy in central Switzerland offering plain, smoked, chili and truffle raclette.

  • Address: Grepperstrasse 57, 6403 Küssnacht, Switzerland
  • Phone: +41 41 850 44 44
  • Email: mail@kuessnachter.ch
  • Website: kuessnachter.ch
  • Contact: form
  • Distinction: Diploma at the Swiss Cheese Awards 2026 for the Küssnachter Raclette (Josef Werder) (source : https://www.cheese-awards.ch/fileadmin/Switzerland/SCA_2026/Gewinner_SCA_2026_def_261013.pdf)
Logo Fromagerie du Mont-de-Travers

Fromagerie du Mont-de-Travers

Travers (Val-de-Travers), Switzerland

Small family dairy from Neuchâtel and member of Raclette Suisse, working with milk from producers less than 10 km (6 miles) away.

Logo : © Fromagerie du Mont-de-Travers, displayed from its official website.

Pinterest pin : Raclette Suisse: The Brand That Melts a Whole Country's Heart
📌 Pin this page on Pinterest so you can find it on raclette night.

Where to buy it

Swiss raclette is found all over Switzerland: village dairies, creameries, supermarkets, markets. Outside Switzerland, look for it at cheesemongers and in imported-food aisles. To recognize it, look for the Raclette Suisse® logo on the packaging or the rind: it guarantees Swiss origin and a cheese with no additives and no genetically modified rennet. The dairy's name often appears on the label. Note that a missing logo does not mean a bad cheese: some dairies are not members of the association. For a raw-milk cheese from Valais, look for the Raclette du Valais PDO.

More places to look in our guide to where to buy good raclette cheese.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference with Raclette du Valais PDO?

Raclette du Valais PDO is made with raw milk and produced only in Valais. Swiss raclette can come from anywhere in the country and be made with raw or pasteurized milk; the Raclette Suisse® mark guarantees its origin and the absence of additives.

Can you eat the rind?

Yes, according to the Raclette Suisse association, the rind of its cheeses can be eaten without worry.

Why are some raclettes square?

Square blocks appeared with pan-style raclette grills from 1970: the slices fit right into the pan, with no waste.

Does Swiss raclette contain lactose?

Practically none: the association states less than 0.1 g of lactose per 100 g, because it breaks down during aging.

Read also: all raclette cheeses, the secrets of a successful raclette and what is raclette?

Sources