It’s safe to say that when it comes to cheese, people living in Switzerland are just crackers for the nearly 450 types that the alpine nation produces. Now and then, it is good to see the international community recognise this passion: the Swiss delicacy raclette has been named the best cheese dish in the world by TasteAtlas.

Raclette named most popular cheese dish in the world

After not a single Swiss cheese made it into TasteAtlas’ top 20 this year, and with other alpine delicacies like Riz Casimir getting a rough ride from the online food guide, you’d expect Switzerland to not come up trumps anytime soon when it comes to food rankings. Now, however, the delicious melted cheese concoction raclette has beaten the odds to be named the “best cheese dish in the world”.

Evidence suggests that people in Swiss cities and cantons have been putting melted cheese on potatoes, bread, sausage or, well, anything really, since 1291. Much like its sister dish fondue - which placed 20th in the ranking - raclette involves melting certain types of cheese. Before melting, a special spice mix can also be added - a pre-made mixture of paprika, pepper, mustard seeds, garlic, onions, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, basil and caraway seeds.

Swiss raclette now available worldwide

However, unlike fondue, the melted raclette cheese is then scraped onto potatoes, bread or any other type of food. Modern iterations have also incorporated cooking meat on top of a hot plate as the raclette cooks, and adding side dishes like pickled vegetables and coleslaw. Today, the dish is such a hit that you are able to purchase a so-called “Raclette grill” in places as far away as America.

"Raclette is an ideal dish for cold winter evenings, which is best served with light white wines or traditional cherry liqueurs," noted TasteAtlas. The Swiss staple joins Saganaki - a Greek dish where vegetables, meat or seafood are wrapped in cheese and deep fried - and Shahi paneer - an Indian delicacy that includes paneer cheese and onions served in a rich tomato sauce with naan bread or roti - on the podium.

10 most popular cheese dishes in the world

In all, here are the 10 most popular cheese dishes in the world and where they are from:

1. Raclette, Switzerland
2. Saganaki, Greece
3. Shahi Paneer, India
4. Paneer Tikka, India
5. Provoleta, Argentina
6. Foccaia di Recco col Formaggio, Italy
7. Khachapuri, Georgia
8. Banitsa with Cheese, Bulgaria
9. Tartiflette, France
10. Fondue Jurasienne, France

To see how other well-known cheese dishes did on the list, check out the TasteAtlas website.