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COOKING

The Swiss regional comfort foods you just have to try

Swiss chef Ulrich Koepf has worked all over the world but his favourite dessert remains a cake from his home canton of Aargau. Here, he takes us on a culinary tour of Switzerland, picking out the local dishes you should look out for.

The Swiss regional comfort foods you just have to try
The Aargauer Rüeblitorte. Photo: Ulrich Koepf
Switzerland’s food is heavily influenced by the fact that this small country is surrounded by five other nations, all of whom have their own signature dishes. These specialities show how influences from France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Lichtenstein crossed the border into Switzerland. 
 
Uri: Ryys und Boor 
 
Photo: Ulrich Koepf
 
One of the most significant culinary influences is from Italy. During the building of the Gotthard tunnel from 1871 to 1882, Italian workers used to share their risotto with the Swiss workers. The Swiss then added potatoes and leeks to it in order to create a more substantial, heavier meal to get them through the day working in the tunnel. 
 
That is how the dish  Ryys und Boor  (rice and leeks) was created which is still today a specialty in the canton of Uri where you find the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel.
 
Zurich: Schnitzel
 
Photo: Ulrich Koepf
 
In the German speaking regions of Switzerland, popular items such as pork Schnitzel with French fries, veal Julienne with mushrooms in a cream sauce served with potato hash browns (Rösti) are likely influences from Germany and Austria, according to cookbook author Alice Vollenweider, who discovered old recipes from the 19th century which described Geschnetzeltes (Schnitzel). But it was not until 1947 when today’s version of Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zurich-style Schnitzel) appeared in a cookbook by Rosa Graf.
 
Aargau: Schnitz und Drunder and Rüeblitorte
 
Photo: Ulrich Koepf
 
I was born in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau, and one of the food items I grew up with is a dish called Schnitz und Drunder, a one-pot dish consisting of potatoes, bacon, dehydrated pear and apple sections. A rough translation would be ‘sections and stuff’. 
 
During my childhood when times were rough and we couldn’t afford to buy meat my mother came up  with a shortcut of this dish by using leftover bread slices toasted in butter and then she added steamed apple sections to it and mixed it all up.  It always did the job by filling our bellies! 
 
For dessert there was Aargauer Rüeblitorte, a local carrot cake  which derives from the name Rüebliland (‘root’ land) since in the 19th century the people living in the region around the capital of Aargau mainly cultivated root vegetables, especially turnips.
 
My favourite dessert in the world also originated in Aargau. It’s called Bundesrat Schaffner Torte and was created for a newly elected federal councillor by the name of Schaffner back in 1961 when the small community of Graenichen organized a reception for him and the baker/confectioner Ernst Wolleb created this special cake consisting of multiple layers of meringue, cream and sponge. 
 
When I tasted this cake the first time it almost blew my mind, the texture was absolutely amazing, light, fluffy and not too sweet, it was like having angels dancing on your tongue! It is still a popular dessert in most parts of Switzerland but sold under a different name  and in my opinion not quite like the original.
 
Vaud: Ramequin and saucisson en croûte
 
Photo: Ulrich Koepf
 
Should you  be travelling through the French speaking regions of Switzerland you will note the influence of neighbouring France, especially the Alsace region.
 
My friend Patrick Calvetti and his family own a restaurant in the village of  Orbe in the canton of Vaud where he cooks many specialties with French influences. One is Ramequin, which consists of slices of white bread baked with regional cheeses, covered with a tasty seasoned egg and milk mixture poured over the whole dish before baking. 
 
Another is saucisson en croûte, a well seasoned pork sausage, poached in a broth with seasoning, leeks and white wine, then wrapped in a pizza or pastry dough and baked for about 30 minutes. Mustard is then added to the broth and thickened with egg yolks to be served as a sauce with the sausage.
 
Neuchâtel: Jacquerie Neuchateloise 
 
From the canton of Neuchâtel comes Jacquerie Neuchâteloise, a one-pot dish consisting of Sauerkraut (choucroute), bacon, seasonings and white wine from the Neuchâtel vineyards served with chicken breast. The sauerkraut is slowly cooked with the bacon and white wine, thickened by adding a grated fresh potato, and then served with chicken breast braised in white wine. A sauce is made by adding garlic, butter, anchovies cream and parsley.
 
Lac Léman (and elsewhere): Filet de perch
 
Photo: Ulrich Koepf
 
Personally one of  my favourite foods in Switzerland is a  local fish from the lakes all across Switzerland such as Egli filet (perch), sautéed in butter with toasted almonds, lemon and parsley served with steamed potatoes and wilted garlicky spinach. Yum yum!
 
Bon Appetite, Buen Provecho, Guten Appetite, Buon Appetito!
 
A version of this article was previously published on Ulrich Koepf’s blog.
 

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DISCOVER SWITZERLAND

Where are the ‘best’ restaurants in Switzerland?

Switzerland is home to some top restaurants, many of which have earned the prestigious Michelin stars. But where are they all and does this mean they are the best? Share your own recommendations below.

Where are the 'best' restaurants in Switzerland?

In October, Michelin presented this year’s renowned restaurant selection of the Michelin Guide Switzerland 2023 at the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne.

The guide introduced five two-star restaurant newcomers (three of which are based in French-speaking Switzerland), while Michelin handed out a total of nine MICHELIN Green Stars for environmentally conscious gastronomy.

In addition to the newly crowned restaurants, Michelin also announced that a further 15 Swiss restaurants had been awarded the Bib Gourmand – which highlights good-value-for-money restaurants – prior to the award ceremony.

Overall, Switzerland’s local gastronomy includes 138 starred restaurants as well as 33 MICHELIN Green Stars-eateries.

So, where can you find the crème de la crème of Swiss restaurants?

Top of the list

The gourmet restaurant Memories, located in the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz (St. Gallen), is among Michelin’s four three-star restaurants this year and a great start for indecisive eaters with an appetite for Swiss alpine cuisine.

Under the kitchen management of Sven Wassmer, Memories’ offers customers seasonal menus consisting of several surprise taste experiences in place of an à la carte menu.

Schloss Schauenstein in neighbouring Graubünden – where Andreas Caminada and Marcel Skibba run the kitchen – is also among Switzerland’s three-star Michelin restaurants, alongside the Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl in the city of Basel with Peter Knogl as head chef and the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier (Vaud) with Franck Giovannini at the helm of the kitchen.

Two-star newcomers

This year also saw five Swiss restaurants snag two Michelin stars for the first time, of which The Japanese Restaurant at the luxurious The Chedi Hotel (Uri) is particularly noteworthy. Swiss twin chef duo Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon took the reins of the Andermatt-based restaurant in the spring where they serve up an exciting blend of Japanese cuisine and timeless European influences.

While in the Deutschschweiz, you may also want to check out the region’s second two-starred newcomer: Mammertsberg.

Diners at this exclusive boutique hotel and restaurant, with Silvio Germann as head chef, get to enjoy elaborate meals with deep flavour while overlooking Freidorf (Thurgau) with views reaching all the way to Lake Constance. A three-course meal at the restaurant will set you back 184 Swiss francs per person and needs to be prebooked.

Those looking to enjoy fine dining in French-speaking Switzerland will find themselves spoiled for choice as three new restaurants have joined Michelin’s two-star ranks.

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L’Atelier Robuchon in the city of Geneva, which is housed in the basement of the luxury hotel The Woodward, offers diners a cuisine inspired by regional and seasonal products cooked up by executive chef Olivier Jean.

In neighbouring Vaud, the menu at La Table du Lausanne Palace – with an unmatched panorama overlooking the rooftops of Lausanne, the mountains and the lake – includes anything from delicious frog legs to salmon from Graubünden and wood-fired venison, while La Table du Valrose in Rougemont (Vaud) wows diners with its modern French-influenced menu.

19 new one-star restaurants

2023 also saw a total of 19 Swiss restaurants added to the country’s list of one star Michelin-rated eateries, bringing the total number of one-star restaurants to 108.

Among them is the Wiesner Mysterion – Zauber in Romoos (Lucerne) with its unique alchemical natural cuisine – as chef Stefan Wiesner puts it, for which the restaurant was awarded one star on its first try. The restaurant’s exceptional nine course menu – which is introduced with a short story by Wiesner and tailored to reflect each season – costs 225 Swiss francs per person.

The restaurant ZOE in Switzerland’s capital Bern – which also received the green star for its sustainable concept – is renowned for its modern and creative vegetarian dishes prepared by operational duo Fabian Raffeiner (kitchen) and Mark Hayoz (service).

Restaurants with sustainability at heart

With sustainability gaining importance worldwide, many on the lookout for their next perfect night out also choose to consider a restaurant’s sense of responsibility.

This year, nine Swiss restaurants were newly granted a MICHELIN Green Star for their commitment to the environment and resources and acting as role-models within sustainable gastronomy.

Among them is the modern Zurich-based elmira. Based in the basement of a former silo on the Löwenbräu brewery site, elmira’s cuisine places importance on choosing seasonal products – meat, fish or vegetarian – as well as ingredients sourced from the immediate vicinity where available.

Meanwhile, the La Tapis Rouge in Brienz (Bern) relies on its 2-hectare vegetable garden for fresh produce which is supplemented by local farms and small-scale producers. The produce the restaurant does not manage to use up for either its vegetable-focused or completely vegetarian menu is not wasted, but rather fermented or marinated.

READ MORE: Swiss government wants residents to eat less meat to protect the climate

15 affordable restaurants

In this year’s edition of the MICHELIN Guide Switzerland, 15 new restaurants have received Bib Gourmand award, which highlights restaurants that stand out for the particularly good value for money they offer.

Not surprisingly, most of them are located in rural areas and offer a good assortment of Swiss and international – particularly Asian – delicacies.

If you’re looking for inventive cuisine on a (Swiss) dime in a cosy setting, then you may want to visit the Le Mont-Rouge in Haute-Nendaz (Valais). At the restaurant, guests can order local, authentically homemade dishes paired with a selection of fine wines from the Valais region.

In German-speaking Switzerland, the rustic Schüpbärg-Beizli may be in the middle of nowhere, but it is well worth the trip to Schüpfen (Bern) if it’s Swiss specialties you have your eye on.

The restaurant – or Beizli (tavern) as it’s called in Swiss German – aims to delight guests with a range of traditional Swiss dishes with a modern twist. Its current menu includes cheese ravioli, Swiss salmon, and beef fillet to be followed by a pumpkin pie, plum compote and a variety of ice creams.

You can find a comprehensive list of the remaining restaurants featured on the MICHELIN Guide Switzerland 2023 here.

READ MORE: How many of these must-try Swiss regional delicacies have you tasted?

Is your favourite restaurant in Switzerland in this list? If not where would you recommend for readers?

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