INDIANAPOLIS, (WISH) – The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is well underway, which means there is no shortage of traditional German food and fun to experience in Carmel. “Life.Style.Live” host Marlee Thomas dropped by the Christkindlmarkt to check out some of the traditions and tasty staples on display this year.

In the first segment, Marlee spoke with the CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, Maria Rosenfeld, inside the Werkstatt (workshop) inside the Kinderplatz (Kids Area). Maria Rosenfeld showed Marlee a live glassblowing demonstration by guest artisans Falk Bauer and Katrin Zapf, two glassblowers from the historic glassblowing community of Lauscha in Thuringia.

Maria Rosenfeld encouraged guests to stop by and meet with artisans from various backgrounds, including glassblowers, woodworkers and toy makers. To view the complete list of artisans at this year’s Christkindlmarkt and upcoming dates for live demonstrations, click here.

In the second segment, Marlee learned about raclette, a cheese dish originating in the Swiss Alps. Raclette is made from a large round of semi-hard cheese scraped onto plates.

Steve Bloom, a raclette vendor at Carmel Christkindlmarkt, shared that raclettes have been made for hundreds of years in the Alps. “The cows up there, they’re grass fed. It’s a certain kind of milk that makes it this way. So we bring it to this market and other markets.”

Bloom demonstrated how to make a raclette by melting Alpine cheese onto a baguette with salami and sausage. He then finished it with a garnish of spring onions, sour pickles, cornichons and Dijon mustard.

At the market, visitors can choose from a menu of four different meats to include on their raclette. The vendor also features a vegetarian-friendly option.

To learn more about the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, visit www.carmelchristkindlmarkt.com.