Repair Design Furniture

National cuisine of Switzerland. Swiss cuisine: rösti, gsottus and wine soup National dish of Switzerland

Swiss cuisine has kindly borrowed the most successful culinary discoveries from all over Europe. At the same time, any Swiss dish has an interesting twist that makes it unique and so tasty.

Aristocrat's breakfast

Breakfast for any Swiss is sacred. Especially if it starts with ruddy ones, reminiscent of potato pancakes. Grate 800 g of raw potatoes on a coarse grater, add salt and pepper to taste, pour in 80 g of melted butter and mix. Place thin flatbreads with a spoon onto a hot frying pan with oil and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side. Golden rashti will be perfectly complemented by delicate fish paste. Mix 200 g of smoked salmon, 150 g of cream cheese, 3-4 chives and beat everything into a homogeneous mass. This delicious combination is perfect for a family breakfast on a Sunday morning.

Cauldron of Pleasures

One of the peculiarities of Swiss cuisine is its love of cheese, which even the French would envy. The most striking cheese creation is fondue. Grate 200 g each of Gruyère and Emmental cheese. If they are not available, take domestically produced Gouda. Melt the cheese in a saucepan, add 200 ml of dry white wine, 30 ml of cherry vodka, 3 cloves of garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Keep the thick cheese mass over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously with a whisk. Ideally, fondue is served in a caquelon, but a ceramic bowl or cast iron pot is also appropriate. You can dip anything into it: crispy bread cubes, fried shrimp or baked potato slices.

Tender soup

The national dishes of Switzerland are refined soups worthy of a social event menu. Melt 30 g of butter in a saucepan, add 1 tbsp. l. flour and lightly fry. Pour in 500 ml of chicken broth and dissolve the flour in it. Add 100 ml of dry white wine, bring to a boil, cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Melt 100 g of grated hard cheese in the broth, add a mixture of 2 egg yolks and 2 tbsp. l. sour cream, mix well with a whisk. At the end, season the soup with salt and pepper and nutmeg on the tip of a knife. Rub the baguette slices with garlic and brown them in a dry frying pan - this touch will make your soup flawless.

Golden calf

Meat dishes in Switzerland are also not complete without cheese. And white wine gives them refined notes. Cut 2 large potatoes into thin slices and soak in water for 30 minutes. Grind 700 g of veal into strips, fry until golden brown and place on a plate. In the same oil, saute the onion with 300 g of champignons. Combine them with veal, season with 1 tbsp. l. flour, a pinch of thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 30–40 minutes, add 3 tbsp. l. sour cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Fry the dried potato slices in a large amount of oil. The duet of tender veal and crispy potatoes is perfection. However, this dish can also be served with a more familiar side dish, such as rice.

Mystery covered in meat

Among the dishes there are interesting variations of poultry, such as chicken cordon bleu. Cut 8 wide slices of ham, place 2 tbsp on them. l. grated cheese and roll into tubes. Take 4 chicken breasts, cut pockets with a sharp knife and place 2 ham tubes in them. Secure the breasts with a toothpick and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then roll them in flour, dip them in a mixture of 3 eggs and 2 tbsp. l. mustard and roll thoroughly in breadcrumbs. Bake the breasts for 30 minutes at 200°C. Chicken in this guise will be loved by your family and friends from the first bite.

Sage perch

The national cuisine of Switzerland is also rich in fish dishes. The Swiss have a special weakness for lake food. Cut 600 g of perch fillet into portions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Pour 300 ml of white wine over the fish and simmer over low heat for 5–7 minutes. Place the perch on a plate, and add 100 g of butter, a bunch of chopped chives and ½ a bunch of parsley to the frying pan with the wine. Smoothly bring the sauce to a boil, add 2 egg yolks with 1 tbsp. l. mustard and, stirring often, simmer for a couple more minutes. Perch with such a noble sauce will be a delicious discovery for the whole family.

Pedigree Pie

Do you want to pamper your sweet tooth with a real Swiss dessert? Bake a pecan pie that dates back to 1900. Knead the dough from 300 g flour, 160 g butter, 130 g sugar, 1 tbsp. l. cream, eggs and a pinch of salt. Divide it into two lumps and cool for 40 minutes. Brown 250 g of sugar in a dry saucepan. Pour in 200 ml of warm cream, simmer for 5 minutes, add 60 g of crushed almonds and 1 tbsp. l. honey Place some of the dough into an oiled pan, forming sides. Fill it with nut filling and cover with the second part of the dough. Place the pie in the oven for 45 minutes at 180°C. Such an exquisite dessert will add a bit of charm to a friendly tea party.

These recipes may well add to your culinary collection. Perhaps you have already tried something from Swiss cuisine? Then be sure to tell us about your memorable dishes.

– a country that combines several cultures: German, French and Italian. This could not but affect cooking traditions. National specificity is more characteristic of the cuisine of rural Switzerland.

The Swiss often eat dairy(cheese, butter, milk, cottage cheese), meat(beef, pork), vegetables(potatoes, cabbage), grains and legumes(corn, oats, millet), fish (trout, pike, rudd, egli - freshwater perch).

Preferred foods may vary depending on the area. For example, city residents eat more flour dishes than residents of mountainous regions.

National Swiss dishes:

The country consumes a lot of dairy products, of which the highest priority is considered cheese. Perhaps the most famous Swiss cheese dish is “ fondue". It consists of crushed Gruyère or Emmental cheese boiled in white wine. Served in a special cauldron. They eat it by dipping bread into it. To prepare a delicious dish " raclette from Wallis,” the Swiss heat up the grated cheese and serve it with potatoes.

The most famous varieties of Swiss cheese: Emmental (usually called Swiss), Appenzell, Gruyertz, soft Formagini cheeses, spiced cheeses “Vacherin” and “Shabziger”, mountain cheese “Piora” and others. Expensive varieties are often bought by tourists for export abroad.

From meat dishes gained wide popularity Zurich schnitzel– veal cooked in creamy sauce, Bünden meat– thinly sliced ​​dried beef, as well as various sausages.

From vegetable dishes is extremely popular " Rösti"– baked potatoes. This dish has many variations - potatoes are grated, fried, baked in different ways and with different ingredients (eggs, mushrooms). Vegetable Bernese appetizer(“Berner Platte”) – a dish of sauerkraut with fried potatoes and beans.

They cook in Switzerland hot soups and stews: Basel flour soup, barley soup from Grisons, Ticinian tripe soup - Busecco, vegetable soup Minestrone.

Swiss desserts:

  • World famous high quality Swiss chocolate.
  • Cereal dessert " polenta» – prepared from corn grits with pieces of fruit and cream.
  • In addition, pies with fruit filling, carrot pies, Engadine nut cakes, Zug cherry cakes and other desserts are popular in Switzerland.

From soft drinks In Switzerland, coffee with milk is often consumed.

The country's winemakers offer a variety of products. Swiss wines“Merlot” from Ticino (ruby color), “Aminier” (white, dry), “Fendan” from Valais (table), “Dol” and many others deserve high praise. In addition to wines, in the country you can try "live beer, schnapps, cider.

It should also be noted that the most popular dishes in Swiss restaurants are indicated in the “menu of the day” - “Tagesteller” or “Plat du Jour”.

Swiss cuisine emerged as a result of a complex, long and contradictory development under the influence of many peoples living in the country.

The influence of French, Italian and German culinary traditions is especially clear here. Although it is now difficult to say which people are “responsible” for this or that dish, the common features can be traced quite clearly - the famous “fondue” and “raclette” clearly have their roots in the French part of Switzerland, excellent sausages and “rösti” were brought here by German peoples, dried fish and beef were clearly “gifted” by the eastern cantons, while in the southern regions it is difficult not to see the “dominance” of Italian dishes. At the same time, the Swiss themselves are very traditional in their preferences and carefully preserve the ancient recipes of this land - often very simple, but satisfying and tasty.

Swiss cuisine recipes. Dishes for the holidays. National New Year's recipes.

First meal:

  • Potato soup
  • Swiss cheese soup
  • Dried sea cucumber and duck soup
  • Potato soup with sea cucumbers and smoked brisket
  • Shrimp soup
  • Rice soup with mussels
  • Summer soup with mussels or squid
  • Rice soup with tomatoes and scallop
  • Rice soup with crabs
  • Swiss barley soup
  • Liver soup
  • Bean soup

Main dishes:

Cheese schnitzel

It is characteristic that the country has a special organization under the Federal Office of Agriculture, which certifies original Swiss products and ensures that the recipes for their preparation are carefully followed. The prestigious title of IGP (Regional Quality Mark) or AOC (Controlled Name of Product with Designation of Place of Origin) is given to the famous Welsh rye bread and cheese "raclette", a cured meat from

Graubünden, sausages from Vaud, bratwurst pork sausages from St. Gallen and many other “truly folk” products.

The main components of local cuisine are milk, butter, cheese, flour, eggs, vegetables of all kinds, meat, herbs and spices. Moreover, the Swiss very harmoniously combine simple “folk” ingredients (of the highest quality, however) and recipes with modern cooking methods and concern for health - according to the latter parameter, this cuisine is in no way inferior to French or Italian, although it is much less known.

The most common breakfast in Switzerland still consists of a slice of bread with a piece of cheese and coffee with milk. Lunch is equally simple, but dinner is hearty and usually consists of more varied dishes.

Regional features

In the southern cantons, almost exclusively Italian cuisine is used with its pastas, pizza, carpaccio, scampi and risotto, with an abundance of herbs and olive oil. At the same time, the already international “polenta” is widely used as an everyday dish, which is made here from coarsely ground corn flour with the addition of processed cheese, liver and other meat products. However, in recent years, globalization has penetrated here too, and now in all major resort areas you can find a menu with absolutely any set of dishes.

The hallmark of local cuisine is undoubtedly cheese. Traditionally, Switzerland was a country of shepherds with a special way of life, with often difficult weather conditions dictating special requirements for food. Therefore, it is not surprising that since ancient times dairy products in general and cheeses in particular have been treated with special reverence. Today, there are about 150 officially registered varieties of the same cheese, and the milk is considered the best in Europe. Moreover, production is subject to strict quality standards (special inspectors even check the number and size of holes in the cheese!), is specially supported by the government, and the best cheeses (Gruyere, Tete de Moine and Emmenthal are the most famous brands) are exported. In addition, in Switzerland there are a lot of different holidays dedicated to dairy products and cheeses. For example, the Cheese Separation Festival (September), during which the products of different artisans are tasted, folk festivals and fairs are organized.

It's no surprise that the most famous local dishes also involve cheese. The hallmark of Swiss gastronomy is fondue, which is any dish with melted (more like melted) cheese. To prepare it, white wine is poured into a special container, heated on a brazier or a special burner, cheese (usually Emmental and Gruyere) is melted in it and various additional ingredients are mixed in (usually potato flour and spices). Then, using a special long fork, dip pieces of bread, boiled potatoes, sausages - basically anything that comes to mind - into the resulting mixture. Often the bread is first dipped in fondue, then in wine (the same as the one used in the dish) or strong “kirsch” - this method is called “san souci”. Usually fondue is served in one pot for the whole company and is prepared right there at the table.

However, the term “fondue” in Switzerland is increasingly used to describe various dishes made using a completely different technology. For example, chicken fondue is simply stewed chicken in a creamy sauce, meat Burgundy fondue is more like boiled meat with cheese and spices, country-style fondue is simply fried meat with potatoes, which is poured with melted cheese and spices - potatoes or vegetables are also dipped in this thick mixture. And classic chocolate fondue does not contain cheese at all - bread, fruit, cookies or waffles are simply dipped in melted chocolate, to which honey or crushed almonds are often added. However, here you can find fondue of the most unimaginable types - with blueberry puree, with fruit and even with ice cream.

Another popular cheese dish is “raclette,” which is a cheese of the same name melted in a special way, or “foam” skimmed from the surface of the melting cheese onto a preheated plate with potatoes (often in their jackets), served with crispy pickled cucumbers, onions, and vegetables. , spices and herbs.

It is also worth mentioning Swiss cheese soup with cubes of fried bread, dozens of types of salads with cheese, Swiss fried meat, which is also generously sprinkled with cheese, various sandwiches, assorted dishes and juliennes. The Swiss often make even such a seemingly simple dish as scrambled eggs differently from us - in a water bath and... correctly - with cheese!

Another cult dish is “rösti” (rösti, rösti or rœsti). Essentially, it’s just a fried flatbread made from grated boiled potatoes, strongly reminiscent of the usual potato pancakes or potato pancakes. This dish is prepared with a large amount of butter (most often butter) and also sprinkled with cheese, so it often serves either as a side dish or as a kind of fast food in combination with various sausages and herbs.

Although livestock farming in Switzerland is excellent, butter, oddly enough, is still a rare guest on the table. But a lot of milk is consumed - both drinking and various products made from it: yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, sauces, and so on. There are even soups based on cottage cheese, cream, cheese or sour cream, and the fillings can be the most unexpected, including vegetables and meat.


Meat dishes

It is usually believed that the range of meat products in Switzerland is quite modest and comes down to a couple of dozen types of hunting and hard smoked sausages, practically repeating the German ones, and endless variations on the theme of schnitzel. However, in reality this is far from the case - well-developed livestock farming supplies the local table with a huge amount of meat of all kinds. It’s just that national diversity manifests itself here too - in the southern and western cantons they gravitate more towards minced and chop meat, but in the north typical German sausages, blood or liver sausages can be found everywhere. These same sausages and smoked meats are an indispensable element of fast food - anywhere you can find street stalls selling 2-3 types of fried sausages with mustard and a simple side dish like flatbread, "rösti" or cheese. In the south, Mediterranean cuisine reigns with its wealth of options and methods of preparing the same sausages, but again with local flavor.

Everywhere they prefer a fairly simple recipe for meat dishes, but an exquisite presentation. One of Zurich's favorite dishes, Zuerich Geschnetzeltes, is simply narrow strips of veal fried in butter with sauce, mushrooms and herbs, served with rösti and a glass of red wine. Good raw smoked sausages are “Briewurst” and “Brauwurst” (an indispensable ingredient in sandwiches), “Engadinerwurst” (an important element of the thick soup of the same name), fried beef or pork with green beans or sauerkraut - “Bernes-platter”, spicy sausages “Knakerli” ( made from three types of meat with spices and sauce), smoked beef or pork in French style, dried beef "Bundenfleisch" with salted onions, smoked sausages "Landjager" or "Leberwurst" made from liver and lard, pork feet "pied de porc" ", sausage salad with vegetables and cheese, krepfli puff pastry pies with a variety of fillings - from meat and cheese to herbs and greens, literally hundreds of simple country liver dishes, as well as many other excellent products.

A large number of different sauces, often very exotic, as well as herbs and spices are always served on the table. But the choice of side dishes is quite simple and often directly depends on the region - cabbage and beans in the north, pasta and polenta in the south, vegetables in the west. Only fried bread and potatoes in all forms are an indispensable element throughout the country. Although local residents frankly consume little bread as such.

It is not surprising that in the country of rivers and lakes many excellent fish dishes are prepared, primarily local trout.

Dessert

It is difficult to imagine Switzerland without chocolate, although cocoa beans do not grow here, and there have never been colonies capable of supplying them. And yet this country has become the world's largest producer of chocolate, which has long been a national symbol along with cheese, watches, weapons and financial institutions. The reason for this is simple - it is believed that in 1875 it was the Swiss Daniel Peter who first learned to produce solid milk chocolate in the form of bars. Now they produce several hundred types of first-class chocolate - both factory-made and hand-made. This is both one of the most popular ingredients in many local desserts and an excellent “souvenir”. And the Swiss themselves consume this product more than anyone else in the world - according to some estimates, more than 12 kilograms per year per capita.

At the same time, the favorite desserts within the country are still more traditional dishes - all kinds of sweets, sugar buns and spicy honey gingerbreads "leckerli", Basel gingerbread, puff pastries "Zuger-Kirschtorte", all kinds of pies "Kuchli", almond-chocolate cookies "Brunsli" "(considered the hallmark of Basel), various buns, rolls, muffins, shortcakes and so on. It is interesting that even muesli, popular all over the world, was also invented in Switzerland - at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner (one of the founders of modern dietetics, by the way) simply dried a simple folk dish (practically a porridge made from rolled oats and wheat flakes ), added raisins, nuts and apples - and got exactly the product that is now consumed in colossal quantities throughout the planet.


Beverages

By and large, soft drinks in Switzerland are exactly the same as in any other Western European country. Only very strong ristretto coffee somehow stands out from the general “juice-tea-mineral water” pattern, but you can easily find analogues for it in Italy or Austria. And, not surprisingly, hot chocolate is consumed much more than in neighboring countries.

However, many foreigners note that the Swiss drink much more beer than soft drinks, but this is most likely an exaggeration. Local beer is of truly excellent quality - both lager and dark, and it also has important advantages - relative cheapness and an abundance of excellent breweries. Interestingly, Samichlaus beer (the Swiss name of Santa Claus) is considered one of the strongest in the world (up to 14%), although it is now brewed in Austria - the Zurich company Hürlimann Brewery closed in 1997.

Despite its proximity to leading wine importing countries, Switzerland itself has an excellent wine industry. According to statistics, each citizen of the confederation produces approximately 50 liters of wine per year (and this does not include those used in the preparation of fondue and other national dishes), and only 2% of the wines produced in the country are exported. At the same time, many varieties are produced literally in tiny quantities - but of excellent quality, and there are many winemakers themselves - each with their own traditions, recipes and brands.


However, you will hardly find semi-sweet wines here - only dry ones, and white varieties are noticeably superior in quality to red and rose ones. All wine is divided into three categories: the highest (indicated by the label AOC or Grand Cru with the name of the region of production), local wine (Vin de Pays, the region must also be indicated) and ordinary table wines without indicating the origin. In Ticino, the classification is slightly different - Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC, the best wines produced in limited quantities), Vino da tavola (also Nostrano svizzero or Della svizzera italiana - vintage wines), Vino rosso or Vino bianco (ordinary wines and blends), and also VITI (the best wines of “old varieties”, quite rare).

You should definitely try white Fendant, red Dôle and rosé Oeil de Perdrix from the canton of Valais (the largest wine-producing region of the country), excellent wines from the coast of Lake Geneva (canton of Vaud, here are the real centers of Swiss winemaking - the regions of Lavaux, Chablais, La Côte and Nord -Vaux) and the canton of Geneva itself, Müller-Thurgau and Pinot Noir from the canton of Zurich, as well as Blauburgunder and Riesling Sylvaner from northern Schaffhausen.

Among the stronger drinks, popular cherry vodka “Kirsch” (Kirschwasser, by and large closer to brandy), plum brandy “Pflumli”, pear brandy “Williams”, or “Williamin”, and others, " more standard drinks.

What do the Swiss eat? Just cheese and chocolate? You yourself guessed that no. To taste the variety of Swiss cuisine, you should go on gastronomic tours around the country or visit where national dishes of Switzerland are served. Neighboring countries, as well as a lifestyle dominated by agriculture, have left their weighty say in the traditional recipe. The peculiarities of Swiss cuisine are the minimal use of spices and herbs. But the national cuisine of Switzerland is not only the well-known fondue and raclette, but also many other interesting and, most importantly, delicious dishes.

Soups and main courses
  1. “Swiss cheese soup” with toasted croutons. It is cooked in meat broth with the addition of cream, hard cheese and herbs.
  2. “Barley soup from Grisons”, its second name is Grisons soup. This is the favorite national dish of the Swiss in winter after long walks. The recipe is somewhat reminiscent of rassolnik, but without pickles and with the addition of cabbage and celery.
  3. Gourmets will be surprised by another dish of Swiss cuisine - Basel flour stew. The recipe for French onion soup has been modified to create onion soup with a Swiss twist.
  4. We recommend trying an unusual dish with a scary name – cholera. The recipe for this dish arose at the height of the cholera epidemics that raged across Europe. The ingredients are simple - potatoes, cheese, eggs and apples, but the taste is great.
Most Popular Snacks
  1. It is worth trying “Geschnetzeltes” - a dish with a difficult name to pronounce. This dish will help you get rid of stereotypes about the unchanged meat sausages in Swiss cuisine and will show all the beauty of the country’s meat traditions. There are various variations of recipes, but the original is made from beef.
  2. Perch fillet is a traditional Swiss dish. It is fried in oil and served with lemon wedges. And as a side dish you will be offered boiled potatoes or roasted almonds.
  3. The spicy sausages made from several types of meat with sauce and spices (“Knackerli”) and the Bernese-style appetizer – pork, as well as ribs with sauerkraut, beans and potatoes will not leave you indifferent. The dish originated after the Bernese army's victory over the French in 1798, when soldiers simply shared what they had.
  4. Swiss cuisine has many recipes for a variety of unusual sausages and sausages, which are very popular in the German part. For example, you will be offered to try delicious two-meter long sausages.
Desserts and drinks

For those who have a sweet tooth, it is not recommended to read this section on an empty stomach. Swiss national cuisine is replete with exquisite desserts, the sight of which makes you forget about everything.

  1. Basler Lackerli - delicious honey gingerbread with notes of citrus, their recipe dates back to the 15th century. This main Christmas dessert was previously known only to novices of monasteries.
  2. Muesli – yes, yes, Swiss farmers once had this dish for breakfast. Later, muesli began to be eaten in other European countries.
  3. The Zuger Kirshtort cake will not leave you indifferent either. This is a true masterpiece of Swiss national cuisine made from puff pastry and the most delicate buttercream with cherry liqueur, strewn with nuts on top.
  4. The Swiss have no equal among bakery producers; they bake more than 300 types of bread. It’s worth trying the delicious airy buns with a variety of fillings.

Among drinks, wine is in demand among the Swiss - the influence of France is felt. Also popular are Kirsch - cherry vodka, plum brandy - "pfmlumli" and "Williams" - pear brandy. From soft drinks to

Swiss cuisine is a flavorful mixture of German, French and Italian cuisine. Most restaurants and hotel canteens offer a wide selection of dishes from different countries on the menu. It takes effort to find a restaurant serving local cuisine.

If you manage to visit Switzerland, be sure to take the opportunity to try the colorful local cuisine, often borrowed, with the addition of your local northern flavor.

Swiss cheese
Cheese making is part of Swiss heritage. On the territory of modern Switzerland, cattle breeding and dairy farming have always been common, concentrated in the highlands of the country. Today, more than 100 varieties of this product are produced here. However, there is no mass production here, everything is prepared in hundreds of small, strictly controlled dairy production facilities, each of which is under the supervision of a federally qualified master cheesemaker.

The cheese with holes, known as Swiss or Emmental, has become widespread despite being originally produced in the Emme Valley. Back then, no one thought about protecting the name for the cheeses of this area. Other famous cheeses are Gruyère, Appenzell, Raclette, Royal and Schabziger. The names of some varieties were also copied, for example Sbrinz and Spalen are closely related to the ancient Roman name Helvetic ( caseus helveticus).

Fondue

Cheese fondue, which consists of Emmental and Gruyère, used alone, together or with special local cheeses, which are melted in white wine, flavored with garlic and lemon juice. Freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, red pepper and kirsch are added to the dish. Traditional local seasonings are often added. Guests surround the bubbling fondue cup and use long forks to dip cubes of bread into the hot mixture. Instead of bread, apples, pears, grapes, sausages, cubes of boiled ham, shrimp, pitted olives, and small pieces of boiled potatoes can be used.

Raclette

Almost as well known as fondue. Popular for many centuries, its origins are lost in ancient times, but the word raclette comes from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape off." The name raclette originally belonged to a dish made from a special Valais mountain cheese, but today this is the name not only for the dish itself, but also for cheeses suitable for melting over an open fire or in the oven.

A piece of cheese (traditionally a half to quarter wheel of raclette) is held over an open fire. As soon as it begins to soften, it is scraped onto a plate with a special knife. The unique aroma and taste are most revealed when hot. The classic accompaniment is fresh, crispy, homemade black bread, but raclette can also be eaten with boiled jacket potatoes, pickled onions, cucumbers, or small ears of corn. Raclette is usually eaten with a fork, but sometimes a knife may be needed.

Other Swiss dishes

The country's ubiquitous vegetable dish called röchti or rosti (brown potatoes). Potatoes are baked in the oven along with cheese, which melts and turns golden brown.

Spätzle (a local type of dumpling) is also offered on the menu of Swiss cafes.

Lake fish in Switzerland is an attractive but expensive pleasure. The most delicious fish in alpine lakes is, of course, trout and small perches.

Hard sausages are very popular in Switzerland. They can be bought at all open markets. The most famous type is bündnerfleisch, a specially prepared dried beef.

Berner Platte is a classic version of Swiss cuisine. If you order this typical farm food, get a huge plate with a pile of sauerkraut or green beans, topped with a piece of meat, sausage, ham, bacon or pork chops.

In addition to cheese fondue, you can enjoy bourguignonne fondue, popular all over the world. It consists of pieces of meat on wooden sticks, cooked in oil, seasoned with sauces of your choice. In addition, many establishments offer chinoise fondue, made from thin slices of beef and oriental sauces.

Typical recipes from Canton Ticino include mushroom risotto and mixed grill known as fritto misto. Polenta made from cornmeal is popular as a side dish. Ticino is also prepared from river fish, such as trout or pike. Pizza and pasta have also spread to all provinces of Switzerland.

Salads often combine fresh lettuce and cooked vegetables such as beets. If you want to try an authentic Swiss salad, ask for zwiebelsalat, made with lettuce and onions. In spring, the Swiss love fresh asparagus so much that the police are forced to increase night patrols to reduce theft of asparagus from the fields.

The glory of Swiss cuisine is the small cakes and pastries that are served throughout the country in teahouses and cafes. The most common delicacy is a muffin shaped like a muffin and traditionally a large cake filled with whipped cream.

Chocolate superpower

Cocoa beans are the main ingredient in chocolate. Columbus brought cocoa beans to Europe from Nicaragua in 1502. Royal cooks mixed bean powder with sugar and hot water, which was a great success among the royal family. During the nineteenth century, attitudes toward cocoa in North America and Europe varied greatly.

In 1825, the famous culinary specialist from the French-speaking world, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, stated that chocolate is one of the most effective foods for increasing physical and intellectual strength. In contrast, Harriet Beecher Stowe declared chocolate unsuitable for American cooking. Despite Ms. Stowe's attacks, the chocolate market continues to grow. This fact was immediately noticed by the wary Swiss from their politically neutral bastion in the Alps.

Since the early 1800s, the Swiss have invested heavily in the cocoa market. Industry pioneers opened the country's first chocolate factory in Corsier, near Vevey. The transnational concern Suchard was created in 1824 near Neuchâtel. In 1875, Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to cocoa powder and sugar. In 1879, the first chocolate bar was created. In 1899, the Sprungli and Lindt empires merged in Zurich to form a chocolate dynasty. Soon after, the Toblerone and Nestle organizations were created.

Today Switzerland is the world's largest chocolate producer. Secrecy and precision have always been among Swiss virtues, and both are essential during the complex mixing process that transforms raw ingredients into the final product. Consumers are constantly expecting new works of art from their chocolate wrappers, so an army of commercial artists toil year-round to meet market demands.

The Swiss consume more chocolate per capita than any other country in the world. No self-respecting climber will go to the mountains without chocolate bars. Housewives usually do not buy less than a kilogram of chocolate at a time. Therefore, this product can also be attributed to traditional Swiss cuisine.

Beverages

White wine is the best choice to drink with fondue. There are few restrictions on the sale of alcohol here, but prices for bourbon, gin and whiskey tend to be much higher than in the United States. Local wines are excellent. Unlike French ones, they taste better when they are aged a little. Many drinks are produced exclusively for local consumption. Most wines produced in Switzerland are white, but there are good rosés and aromatic reds.

The most exported wines are produced in Valais, Ticino and Sealand. There are more than 300 small wine-growing areas here. In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Fendant and Johannisberg are considered the best wines. In the German-speaking part you can try several dry and light red wines - Stammheimer, Klevner and Hallauer. In Italian-language - red merlot with a pleasant bouquet.

Beer
Swiss beer is the drink of choice in the German-speaking part of the country. The most common are light beer Helles and dark Dunkles.

Liqueurs
The liqueurs here are tasty and very strong. The most popular are Kirsch (a national alcoholic drink made from cherry pit juice) and Plum (plum liqueur). Williamsina Pear Brandy is made from aromatic Williams pears. In Ticino, most locals love the fiery Grappa brandy, distilled from waste from the grape pressing process.

In principle, this is the main thing you can learn about Swiss cuisine. Although, of course, it’s better not to read about it, but to try it yourself, because unfortunately, eating through the monitor won’t work.