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FOOD AND DRINK

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

Switzerland is best known for cheese and chocolate, but there is much more to discover in culinary terms across its four language areas.

Published: 21 April 2023 17:21 CEST
Updated: 1 September 2023 16:10 CEST

Deutschschweiz

If like many foreigners you have landed in Zurich on an empty stomach and crave a hearty meal, head to the Restaurant Kronenhalle for a Züri Gschnätzlets. Zurich’s very own cult dish is made of finely sliced veal fillet dipped in a creamy mushroom sauce and served with Rösti – another Swiss classic.

The Bern version of this popular potato dish – simply called Berner Rösti – adds diced bacon to the potatoes, which themselves can be sautéed or shallow-fried in a pan. Once cooked, Rösti is always served with the crust side up.

If you’re in the mood for something lighter, Basel’s Mehlsuppe – a staple Fasnacht dish – makes a perfect meal for a cold day. Legend has it that a clumsy cook once burned the flour meant for the soup and instead of tossing it, added it to the broth only for it to prove a success with diners. The soup is traditionally made with (burned or unburned) flour, bouillon, red wine, and butter, and eaten with bread.

When asking the German-Swiss for pasta suggestions you are likely to be recommended a portion of Älplermagronen, the Swiss take on your classic Mac and Cheese. The name itself translates to alpine macaroni pasta and the recipe can differ from region to region, with some opting for bacon or caramelised onions, while others alternate between various types of cheese. In any case, it’s a worthy guilty pleasure food.

Romandie

The French-speaking part of Switzerland is arguably home to two of the country’s most well-known cheese dishes both domestically and abroad: Fondue and Raclette.

In Switzerland, both dishes are a must in the winter, but even the Swiss are divided on which melted cheese concoction takes the crown. However, one thing is commonly agreed upon: Whether you prefer your cheese melted in white wine to make a thick soup or heated in a pan to make Gschwellti – there is no wrong answer.

Speaking of Gschwellti, the Swiss potato dish (often paired with Raclette) may be the underdog among foreigners, yet it’s super easy to make. To fix up these cheesy potatoes, you can use a variety of potatoes, steam or boil them until tender, and remember to leave the skin on. Then simply top the potatoes with your melted Raclette cheese and a Swiss favourite is born.

You can travel far and wide and not hear a single soul express an urge for a slice of cholera – until you cross the border into Valais that is. In the canton, Cholera – a leek and potato cake – is considered a regional delicacy. Though never confirmed, it is argued that the flaky pastry gets its name from the word Chola or Cholu, meaning coal in the Valais dialect, and not in fact, the cholera outbreak. Go figure.

Neighbouring Vaud is home to the Papet Vaudois, a one-pot dish so yummy it is commonly called one of the finest dishes Switzerland has to offer. The Papet Vaudois is traditionally prepared using sausages from the canton of Vaud, such as the saucisson vaudois (pork) or the saucisse aux choux Vaudois (pork mixed with cabbage). The sausage of your choice is then placed over the creamy potato and leek mix.

Ticino

Ticino is home to countless culinary highlights, the majority of which draw on recipes from its southern neighbour, Italy. One great example for this is Polenta, a cornmeal mush prepared with only water and cornflour that is said to go back to Roman times. Though you get the best results by continuously hand-stirring the mixture over a chimney fire, today you can luckily buy pre-cooked polenta to getting stuck with repetitive strain injury.

Ticino is also known, among other things, for its chestnut forests and many locals and tourists alike enjoy visiting the region in the autumn for a round of chestnut-picking. Today, many recipes are made using chestnuts – once Ticino’s staple food – such as the Kastanieneintopf, an oven-baked chestnut stew featuring potatoes and bacon, and the Tessiner Kastaniensuppe, a delicious, creamy soup refined with cinnamon, pink peppercorn, and rosemary.

For dessert, we recommend trying the canton’s torta di pane (bread cake), which can be made using stale white bread paired with dried fruit nut (raisins). The tasty cake was invented by the region’s lesser financially fortunate and helps reduce food waste while being deliciously sweet.

Grisons

Though less popular internationally than its German, French and even Italian-speaking counterparts, the canton of the Grisons sure has its fair share of regional delicacies to lure visitors to its borders.

The people of Surselva swear by Capuns, a spinach beef wrap slash dumpling simmered in milk or cream. However, if you attempt to make Capuns yourself, you best be warned. It is said that each family has its very own recipe for this famous concoction, ranging from adding varied ingredients (dried meat, bread, mint, chives, onions) to using entirely different cooking methods (boil, simmer, fry, bake). But don’t let the gazillion recipes throw you off, Capuns is worth a try whichever cooking combination you attempt.

Another Grisons must-try recipe is Maluns, which is made of – you guessed it – potatoes. Grab a bag of potatoes, flour, salt, butter, and a big portion of patience, for this dish needs to be fried (very) slowly until light brown for the perfect taste. Add apple sauce and some cheese to round it off.

While in Grisons, you should also order some local Bündner Gerstensuppe. The barley soup is also well-known outside of Grisons and particularly favoured after a day spent on the slopes. Recipes differ from town to town, but usually include barley, Grisons meat, garlic, onion, and leek.

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FOOD AND DRINK

EXPLAINED: What does the ‘bio’ label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

All major Swiss supermarkets have products designated as ‘bio’, which refers to their ‘organic’ farming or manufacturing methods. But what exactly does this label represent?

Published: 24 June 2024 11:31 CEST
EXPLAINED: What does the 'bio' label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

In its press release published in June 2024, Bio Suisse, an umbrella group for organic food producers, said that residents of Switzerland are international ‘bio’ champions. 

“With consumption of 454 francs per capita, Switzerland ranks first in international comparison,” the organisation said. “In no other European country is the organic basket of goods as large.”

In terms of preference for organic food, “Switzerland is ahead of Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden. Germany follows in sixth place and France just behind in seventh place,” Bio-Suisse added.

This finding is not surprising because the consumption of this more expensive type of food is directly linked to income: the wealthier the country, the more its residents are willing to spend on organic products.

What does a ‘bio’ label stand for in Switzerland?

In a nutshell, organic products must meet much higher standards and comply with more requirements than the ‘conventional’ foods in the way they are grown and manufactured.

Contrary to most conventional production methods, organic farming is more sustainable — that is, it protects the environment and conserves resources instead of depleting them.

A total of 7,362 organic farmers and producers are members of Bio Suisse.

In addition, more than 2,300 operations abroad are also certified according to the Bio Suisse standards, which means their farming / production methods are equivalent to those practiced in Switzerland.

Can you trust a ‘bio’ label, or is it just a lot of hype (as some people claim?)

In Switzerland, this process is strictly controlled by various organic farming ordinances, which are enforced by the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW). 

This means that every farm that produces, prepares, trades or imports organic products is inspected and certified at least once a year by one of the four accredited and approved certification bodies in Switzerland.

These laws also set out the principles by which agricultural products and foodstuffs labelled as organic must be made, and which non-toxic substances are authorised for use in organic farming and for preparing organic food.

Why are organic products more expensive than conventional ones?

Among the main reasons are more rigorous production and certification standards, which must meet all the requirements set out by the BLW.

Also, operational costs involved in the use of natural, pesticide-free fertilisers and high-quality animal feed, are higher in organic farming than in conventional one.

Additionally, the supply of organic food in Swiss supermarkets is more limited than that of conventional one, which pushes prices up.

And then there is this often-asked question: is organic food in Switzerland in really healthier?

Some people will swear by the better quality and higher nutritional value of organic products, while others will say the benefits are exaggerated.

There is no definite answer to this question, except this: some studies have shown possible health benefits of organic foods when compared with foods grown using conventional process.

However, there is limited information to prove how these differences can give potential overall health benefits.

But Zurich authorities believe in the ‘power’ of organic foods: in 2022, they mandated that most of the food served in the city’s hospitals, care centres, childcare facilities, and schools, be organic.

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