Raclette is a semi-hard, pale-gold cow's-milk cheese from the Alps of Switzerland and the French Savoie, made to be melted: warmed at a fire or grill, its scraped-off molten layer is the heart of the eponymous dish, served over boiled potatoes, pickles and cured meats. Supple, buttery and gently savoury when fresh, it turns into a smooth, fragrant, faintly nutty cream when heated, which is its whole purpose.