Fondue refers to several French Swiss communal dishes shared at the table in an earthenware pot ("caquelon") over a small burner ("rechaud"). The term "fondue" comes from the French "fondre" ("to melt"), referring to the fact that the contents of the pot are kept in a liquid state so that diners can use forks to dip into the sauce. Though cheese fondues are perhaps the best known kind, there are several other possibilities for the contents of the pot and what is used for dipping�recipes are not entirely fixed and vary depending on the cook.
As with other communal dishes, fondue has etiquette standards ranging from practical to amusing. Some people consider it rude to allow one's lips or tongue to touch the fondue fork, and with meat fondues one should use a dinner fork to remove the meat from the dipping utensil. If the bread or fruit is lost in the cheese, it is tradition for that person to buy a round of drinks or to be punished in another way.