Raclette can mean two things -- the washed-rind cheese originating from Switzerland, or the dish consisting of the same cheese melted over boiled potatoes and other accompaniments. Raclette parties refer to the latter, and are fairly hard to come by in the United States.

Raclette — which derives from the French word meaning "to scrape" — involves melting the surface of a wheel of semi-soft raclette cheese, then scraping the gooey part onto boiled potatoes and other accompaniments. A tradition of the Swiss Alps, raclette is still little known in the United States. But that may be changing.

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Photo by Matthew Mead / AP