Fondue Becomes a Winter Ritual in Santa Catarina

Fondue has become a central winter dish for visitors to the Santa Catarina highlands, where cold weather favours hot, rich food. In 2025, food accounted for 36% of tourists’ spending in the region, with fondue among the dishes they seek out, photograph and recommend.

The dish is served in several forms, including cheese, meat and chocolate versions. Local tourism and food businesses associate fondue with the winter experience in the Serra catarinense, where visitors return to the dish during the colder months. Its principal ingredient is serrano cheese , made from raw milk produced by cows raised in the region’s high-altitude pastures. The farmers who produce it work in winter conditions in which morning temperatures can fall to -8°C . When melted, the cheese gives the fondue a dense texture and a slightly acidic flavour. Serrano cheese already has a geographical indication. It is also going through a process to be recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of Santa Catarina. These designations have placed the cheese at the centre of the local dish rather than treating it as a secondary ingredient. The fondue is commonly paired with wines from the high-altitude vineyards of São Joaquim, Campo Belo do Sul and Urupema. Regional restaurants ...