Picture the Alps and your mind will likely leap to images of snow-topped peaks, skiers and rugged terrains, but nestled amidst these mountains is a culinary heritage as rich and diverse as the landscape itself. Alpine food has long been celebrated and enjoyed for its brilliant simplicity, championing of locally produced ingredients and, of course, its unapologetically comforting nature. From dried meats and carbs drenched in stringy melted cheese to tempting baked goods, it’s simply some of the most irresistibly indulgent food around.

What many people aren’t aware of however, is the sheer scope of Alpine cuisine. Whilst we doubt there are many of you who haven’t encountered a fondue at some point or other, you might be less familiar with the likes of malakoff (Gruyère cheese beignets) and farçon (fruit-filled potato cake). Like all styles of food, Alpine cuisine differs hugely country to country and even regionally thanks to a combination of tradition and differing local produce. In the Swiss Alps, for example, you’ll unsurprisingly find beloved Alpine cheese Le Gruyére AOP cropping up all over the shop, whilst in Northern Italy, dried meats like Tyrolean speck often take centre stage.

This variety is one of the things that makes Alpine cuisine so intriguing, but it also means it can be a tricky style of food to pin down. Below, we’ve taken a look at some of traditional dishes commonly associated with the Alps and have even included a few recipes, in case you’re tempted to recreate them at home.

Where better to start than with what is arguably the most famous of all Alpine dishes, fondue. One of Switzerland’s national dishes, this bubbling pot of melted Gruyère AOP cheese, wine and aromatics is the epitome of simple yet delicious Alpine food. Dating all the way back to the seventeenth century, fondue was actually first conceived of in Zurich before, over the years, its popularity spread to the mountains. Nowadays, you’ll find groups of people dunking chunks of bread into their fondue right across the Alps and even further afield, with a whole host of different regional varieties available.

Much like fondue, gratins are all about celebrating simplicity. Most commonly made using potatoes topped with cheese and baked to achieve a golden crust, Savoie’s tartiflette is the best-known gratin dish served in the Alps but there are countless variations. One you’ll commonly come across in France uses crozets – small squares of flat pasta first made in the Tarentaise Valley in the seventeenth century – in the place of potatoes, covering them with cheese and lardons, before baking. This Swiss-inspired gratin from chef Matthew Tomlinson, meanwhile, uses thinly sliced turnips and finishes them with a generous helping of Le Gruyère AOP.

If you’re unfamiliar with diots, you’ll fast become a fan once you give them a try. Again from Savoie in France, these pork sausages are gently spiced with nutmeg and typically cooked with plenty of garlic, onions and white wine. Diots also sometimes come filled with cheese or cabbage and tend to be served with piles of potatoes or the local pasta, crozets.

These beignets of melted cheese originated in the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland and are made by topping a circle of white bread with a dome of a cheesy mixture, before deep frying. Typically made using Switzerland’s native Le Gruyère AOP, malakoffs are often served with a side of pickles to cut through the richness of what is, in effect, deep-fried fondue. These Le Gruyère AOP and tomato choux fritters from Nancy Anne Harboard are a unique take on the traditional malakoff but still have the all-important oozy centre.

Alpine macaroni, better known as älpermagronen, was first invented in Switzerland in the 1930s as a meal for herdsmen in the mountains, who would live off the dish during cold winters. What makes it different from the average macaroni cheese is the fact that cubes of cooked potato are stirred through the pasta for an added hit of carbs, before being covered in a cheese sauce usually made using Le Gruyère AOP. This ultimate Alpine comfort dish is then traditionally finished with a topping of crispy bacon and caramelised onion.

We finish with one of the more unusual creations to come out of the Alps. A signature of France’s Chamonix region, farçon is a part sweet, part savoury bacon-wrapped potato cake containing prunes and raisins. Normally cooked in a deep pan over a Bain Marie, once ready it’s tipped onto a plate and cut into slices like a cake. Originally a peasant dish, it’s become somewhat of a speciality in this French valleys, enjoyed as both a savoury meal and a fruity dessert.

Feeling inspired to cook your own Alpine-inspired comfort food? We’ve partnered with Le Gruyère AOP to create some exclusive après ski-themed recipes from chefs Kerth Gumbs and Bryn Williams.