A malakoff is a ball of fried cheese typically found in western Switzerland, more specifically in the villages of Eysins, Begnins, Bursins, Luins, and Vinzel (where it is also called “Vinzel beignet”) on the shores of Lake Leman. The name comes from the Battle of Malakoff, the dish itself having been invented by Swiss mercenaries during the siege of Sevastopol.