What is this challenge in Episode 5 of Take Off about?
In the cheese fondue challenge, the teams must pull the longest possible strand of cheese from melted fondue. The contestants develop their own recipes and experiment with different types of cheese, liquids, and ingredients to achieve the optimal “stretchiness” or elasticity of the cheese.
The challenge is conducted under clear rules:
- Only the ingredients listed in the final recipe may be used.
- The measurement counts the single longest cheese strand a team can pull.
The goal is to use the physical and chemical properties of cheese to achieve the maximum possible string length.
Want to pull the longest strand? Here’s all the data you need:
To recreate the cheese fondue challenge at home, you’ll need the following equipment:
- A stovetop and a (fondue) pot
- A scale for precise measuring
- Rolls of paper to protect the floor
- A measuring tape or ruler to measure the cheese strands
- Optional, for extra precision: a thermometer and pH test strips
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To achieve the longest possible cheese strands, you need to experiment with several factors. The following are especially important:
Type of cheese: Cheeses with a high moisture content that are young and creamy (such as mozzarella or Appenzeller)
Temperature: Temperature control is crucial! Around 60–70 °C (140–158 °F) - depending on the cheese composition -offers the best balance between melt and elasticity.
- Too low (<50 °C / 122 °F): incomplete melting
- Too high (>80 °C / 176 °F): the cheese breaks apart
Liquid: Water: good stretch, but difficult texture; Milk: smooth and creamy, moderate stretch; Wine or fruit juice: used to adjust pH
Additives:
- Adding acid (e.g., lemon juice) can improve stretchiness by stabilizing protein networks
- Starch ensures a uniform consistency and prevents fat separation
The length of the cheese strand is a measure of the elasticity and cohesion of the protein network.
An optimal cheese fondue recipe for maximum stringiness:
Ingredients (for 500 g of fondue):
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 250 g grated Gruyère
- 250 g grated Emmentaler
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Bread, cut into small cubes, for dipping
Preparation:
- Heat the wine in a small beaker using a hot water bath.
- Add the cheese and cornstarch to the hot wine. Heat gently while stirring constantly until the cheese is fully melted and forms a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- If needed, add more cheese or a splash of lemon juice.
Recipe for the lazy:
Simply buy ready-made fondue and add Emmentaler — guaranteed long cheese pulls!
Why does melted cheese form such long strands in the first place?
When cheese melts and forms long, stretchy strands, it actually has a lot to do with physics and chemistry - more specifically, with rheology. Rheology is the science of how materials flow and deform. It describes how a substance moves, stretches, or behaves when force is applied.
When honey slowly spreads on bread: that’s rheology. When pudding jiggles on a plate: rheology. And when cheese stretches into long strands because its proteins become elastic: that’s rheology too.
So what’s happening in cheese fondue?
The key “players” in cheese are the proteins, especially the so-called caseins. You can think of them as tiny, flexible building blocks. When heated, they become more mobile and form an elastic network that traps water and fat. This network is what allows the cheese to stretch so beautifully.
The fat in the cheese contributes to a smooth, creamy texture. However, if the fat content is too high, it can interfere with the protein network, causing the strands to break more easily. If the cheese is too dry, the protein chains snap when stretched.
A good cheese fondue for long strands therefore requires balance: not too runny (sufficient viscosity) and not too firm, so the protein strands can stretch without tearing.
Overall, the stretchiness of cheese strands is influenced by moisture content, protein composition, fat content, temperature, and pH level.
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The pH level describes how acidic or basic a substance is. In cheese fondue, it plays a central role in the melting behavior and stretchiness of the cheese.
The optimal pH range for maximum “stringiness” lies between 3.5 and 5. Why is this range ideal? Cheese consists mainly of proteins called caseins, which are linked together by calcium bridges. Within the optimal pH range, these connections are partially loosened. As a result, the protein network becomes more mobile and elastic, allowing the cheese to form long, stable strands.
If the pH level is too high (> 5.0), the protein network remains too rigid and the strands break easily. If the pH level is too low (< 3), the proteins begin to coagulate.
Practical tip:
Small amounts of acid (e.g., wine or lemon juice) help bring the pH level into the optimal range. Just a few milliliters are enough! Too much acid will negatively affect the texture.
Watch how the contestants managed to pull the longest cheese strand
(Video available from February 6)
A few highlights from Episode 5
Author: Diane Bertel
Editors: Lucie Zeches (FNR), Joseph Rodesch (FNR)
Photos: Emmanuel Claude
