Savoyard Specialties Class

The Savoyard Specialties Class is a three-hour hands-on cooking session run by La Cuisine d'Annecy, a culinary school operating across partner kitchen venues in central Annecy in the Haute-Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. La Cuisine d'Annecy specialises in the cuisine of the Alps and runs regular public classes for visitors and residents throughout the year, with sessions available in both French and English.

The class is dedicated entirely to the classic dishes of Haute-Savoie — the mountain cuisine of the French Alps that developed from centuries of pastoral farming, dairy abundance, and long winters. The centrepiece dish, fondue savoyarde, is approached methodically: participants learn the correct ratio of cheeses (typically Beaufort, Emmental de Savoie, and Comté in the local style), the technique for rubbing the caquelon (the traditional earthenware fondue pot) with a cut garlic clove, and the gradual incorporation of dry Savoie white wine — typically Apremont or Roussette de Savoie — to achieve the correct emulsification. A trace of kirsch is added at the final stage according to traditional practice.

The second dish, tartiflette, introduces participants to the versatility of Reblochon AOC — the creamy washed-rind cheese produced in the Aravis valleys of Haute-Savoie — as it melts into a gratin of sliced potatoes, lardons, and onions. The instructor explains the AOC rules governing Reblochon production and the distinction between farm-made (fermier) and cooperative Reblochon. A seasonal Savoyard dessert — most often gâteau de Savoie, the region's characteristically light sponge cake — completes the curriculum.

The session concludes with a full seated meal of all three dishes prepared, paired with Savoie white wine chosen by the instructor. Group sizes run from four to ten participants. Dietary adjustments are available; a vegetarian tartiflette without lardons is offered with advance notice. The class venue is confirmed at time of booking and is typically within 10 minutes' walk of Annecy's old town.