Tartiflette may look like ancient French peasant food, but its story is surprisingly modern. In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, Emily and Caroline explore how this ultra-comforting Alpine dish, made with potatoes, onions, bacon, cream, and melted Reblochon, emerged not from rustic tradition but from ski culture, clever cheese marketing, and a region shaped by trade, power, and tax evasion. Tracing Tartiflette back to Savoie and the origins of Reblochon cheese, we unpack how a modern invention became a beloved “tradition” almost overnight.

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Tartiflette may look like ancient French peasant food, but its real story is far more modern.

In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, we dig into the surprisingly recent origins of Tartiflette, the ultra-comforting Alpine dish made with potatoes, onions, bacon, cream, and melted Reblochon cheese. Often marketed as traditional mountain fare, Tartiflette is actually a product of ski culture, clever cheese marketing, and a region with a long history of power, trade, and tax evasion. We trace Tartiflette back to Savoie, a former duchy perched between France, Italy, and Switzerland, and unpack how Reblochon cheese was originally invented through strategic under-milking to avoid medieval taxes.

From there, we explore how Alpine food culture evolved, why ski resorts in the 20th century needed hearty, crowd-pleasing dishes, and how Tartiflette became a modern “tradition” almost overnight.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Tartiflette is much younger than people think 
• How Reblochon was born from tax evasion and second milkings 
• What makes washed-rind cheeses smell like feet (literally) 
• Why fondue and Tartiflette aren’t really peasant food 
• The role of ski resorts, Michelin stars, and cheese syndicates 
• What Tartiflette evolved from and what variations exist today
• Why you should never drink water with melted cheese

US Alternatives to Reblochon:

• Oma, Von Trapp Family Farmstead
• Willoughby, Jasper Hill Farm
• Grayson, Meadow Creek Dairy 
• Walden, Sequatchie Cove Creamery

Dishes discussed:

• Tartiflette
• Munstiflette
• Croziflette

🎧 Fishwives of Paris, where French food myths go to die.

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli and Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

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