Which cheese for raclette? AOP, Raclette Suisse or the supermarket
Updated: 1 November 2026
Short answer: For a half wheel under a raclette oven or by a fire, choose Raclette du Valais AOP, a raw-milk cheese from the canton of Valais [1][2]. For an electric grill with small pans, Swissmilk recommends cheese made from pasteurised milk, because raw-milk cheese loses a fair amount of fat that way, and with it flavour [2]. You will find it among Swiss raclette cheeses, for example under the Raclette Suisse® brand [3][4].
For how much to buy per person, see Raclette: how much cheese and how many potatoes per person?.
The cheeses at a glance
| Cheese | Milk | Ripening | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raclette du Valais AOP | raw cow's milk only [1] | at least 3 months; at least 2 months for the Schnittkäse variant ("à la coupe" in French) [1] | half wheel under a raclette oven or by a fire [2][7]; in pans, do not overheat it [5] |
| Raclette Suisse® | raw, thermised or pasteurised [2]; the Cheesefinder lists pasteurised milk [4] | 3 to 6 months [3] | pans, if pasteurised [2]; also sold with pepper, paprika, herbs or garlic [3] |
| Appenzeller® for Raclette (see below) | raw milk [9] | 4 to 5 months [9] | fire or raclette oven, like raw-milk cheese in general [2] |
Origin, wheel size, rennet and the marks on the rind are on the page for each cheese.
Appenzeller® for Raclette
According to the maker, Appenzeller® for Raclette "is made with pure, raw cow's milk without additives", in the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden and in parts of the cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau [9]. The English product page gives 4 to 5 months of ageing. It lists the consistency as "Soft, good melting characteristics, creamy" and the flavour as "robust and meltable". The maker's tip: "heat the cheese gently for the best taste experience" [9]. It is sold from September to March. The product page does not say which rennet is used [9].
Which cheese for which evening
| If your evening looks like this | then | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Half wheel under a raclette oven | Raclette du Valais AOP, half wheel (about 2.4 to 2.5 kg for 8 people) | source [7] |
| Wood fire or half-wheel oven | raw-milk cheese, for example Raclette du Valais AOP or Appenzeller® for Raclette | source [2]; examples from [1], [9] |
| Electric grill with pans | pasteurised-milk cheese, for example a pasteurised Raclette Suisse® | sources [2], [4] |
| Pans, but you want Raclette du Valais AOP | possible; do not heat it too strongly or for too long | source [5] |
| Variety on the table | Raclette Suisse® with pepper, paprika, herbs or garlic | source [3] |
| Plain only | Raclette du Valais AOP: no spices allowed, only water, salt, rennet and cultures | source [1] Art. 9 |
| Mild | Raclette Suisse® ("Aromatic, Mild") | source [4] |
| Robust | Appenzeller® for Raclette ("robust and meltable"); in spring and summer, ask first, as the season runs from September to March | source [9] |
| Guests who avoid calf rennet | not Raclette du Valais AOP (calf rennet only). The Cheesefinder lists animal rennet for Raclette Suisse®. For Appenzeller®, ask at the counter. | sources [1] Art. 9, [4], [9] |
| A mixed group | two cheeses, one plain, one robust or flavoured | our suggestion |
| Not sure | ask at the counter about the milk, the ripening time and the rennet | our suggestion; questions below |
The sources disagree about pans. Swissmilk advises pasteurised-milk cheese for the electric pan grill [2]; the Raclette du Valais producers' body says its raw-milk cheese works in pans too, as long as it is not overheated [5]. The table gives both.
To borrow an oven, see Renting a raclette oven. More on pans: Raclette pans.
At the supermarket
According to the Valais producers' body, Raclette du Valais AOP is sold directly by cheesemakers, in retail shops, in specialist cheese shops and in larger shopping centres such as Coop, Migros, Manor, Spar, Aligro, Volg and Aldi [5]. It comes as a whole wheel, a half wheel, a cut piece or in slices [8].
On a pack of slices, check:
- AOP or not: only cheese that meets the specification may be called "Raclette du Valais AOP" [1][2].
- Milk: raw, thermised or pasteurised. This is the point that matters for pans [2].
- Rennet: if you want to avoid calf rennet, look for the rennet type. The AOP cheese is always made with calf rennet [1].
What to ask at the cheese counter
- "Is this Raclette du Valais AOP?" The real one has a place name stamped into the side of the wheel and a casein mark [1][8]. Examples from the specification: Bagnes 98 (Etiez/Vollèges), Gomser 55 (Grengiols), Orsieres, Anniviers [1]. The casein mark shows the dairy, the production date and a batch number [1] Art. 15.
- "Raw, thermised or pasteurised milk?" Raclette du Valais AOP is always raw-milk cheese [1] Art. 7, and so is Appenzeller® for Raclette [9]. Raclette Suisse® comes in all three [2]. For the electric pan grill, Swissmilk advises pasteurised milk [2].
- "Whole wheel, half wheel, a piece or slices?" Raclette du Valais AOP is sold in all four forms [8]. A whole wheel weighs 4.6 to 5.8 kg [1]; the half wheel in the original recipe about 2.4 to 2.5 kg for 8 people [7]. Ask for the exact weight and work it out with the quantity guide. For the pan, Raclette Suisse says to place one raclette slice in it [10]. More on half wheels: Buying a raclette wheel.
- "How long has it ripened?" At least 3 months for Raclette du Valais AOP, 2 months for the Schnittkäse variant [1] Art. 11, 3 to 6 months for Raclette Suisse® [3], 4 to 5 months for Appenzeller® for Raclette [9].
- "What rennet is it made with?" Useful if guests avoid calf rennet. Raclette du Valais AOP: calf rennet only [1] Art. 9. Raclette Suisse®: animal rennet [4]. For Appenzeller® for Raclette, the product page names no rennet [9], so it is worth asking.
FAQ
Can only Valais cheese be called "raclette"? No. Valais dairy farmers lost that case at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2007. Only the name "Raclette du Valais AOP" is protected [2]; the designation of origin was registered on 21.12.2007 [6].
What does Raclette du Valais AOP taste like? The Swiss PDO-PGI Association describes it as rather mild, milky and fresh, with vegetal and fruity notes [8].
Sources (accessed 1 November 2026)
- Pflichtenheft Walliser Raclette (GUB), 2026 version, Art. 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 15 (PDF, in German): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/files/dateien/Plichtenheft%20/Raclette%20du%20Valais%20PH-Pflichtenheft_2026.pdf
- Swissmilk, "20 Dinge, die du über Raclette noch nicht wusstest", points 14, 15 and 17 (in German): https://www.swissmilk.ch/de/rezepte-kochideen/20-dinge-die-du-ueber-raclette-noch-nicht-wusstest/
- Raclette Suisse, "Our cheese": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/our-cheese
- Switzerland Cheese Marketing, Cheesefinder "Raclette Suisse®": https://www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com/en/cheeses-from-switzerland/cheesefinder/detail/raclette-suisse
- Raclette du Valais AOP, "Raclettegenuss" (in German; raw milk, points of sale, ovens): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/raclettegenuss
- Swiss PDO-PGI Association, "Walliser Raclette AOP": https://www.aop-igp.ch/en/walliser-raclette-aop/page
- Raclette du Valais AOP, "Originalrezept" (in German): https://www.raclette-du-valais.ch/rezepte/originalrezept
- Association suisse des AOP-IGP, "Raclette du Valais AOP" (in French; forms of sale, stamp and casein mark, taste): https://www.aop-igp.ch/fr/raclette-du-valais-aop/page
- Appenzeller®, "Appenzeller® for Raclette" (product page): https://www.appenzeller.ch/en/products/appenzeller-for-raclette
- Raclette Suisse, "Preparation": https://www.raclette-suisse.ch/en/raclette/preparation