Switzerland is a corner of centuries-old stability, prosperity, reliability and prestige. A country in which for centuries, on equal terms, representatives of different languages, cultures and religions have lived peacefully. Four state languages, according to the number of indigenous peoples, careful preservation of traditions and customs - all this creates an indescribable atmosphere of tolerance and friendliness.
Famous ski and unique thermal resorts, more than 200 lakes and incredible beauty and diversity of landscapes attract numerous tourists to the country. Add to this historical and architectural landmarks - from Baroque monasteries to Gothic churches, from the ruins of a Roman amphitheater to Renaissance fortresses. Plus the highest level of infrastructure development and an absolutely friendly atmosphere. All this makes Switzerland a classic tourist destination.
Food in Switzerland
The symbiosis of three leading European cuisines, German, French and Italian, has made Switzerland a gourmet paradise. Gastronomic delicacies are prepared from the highest quality products, natural and fresh. And no harmful additives. A special service certifies the best products with the Swiss quality seal.
The unified Swiss cuisine is made up of culinary traditions of 20 cantons. And the famous Swiss cheese turns out to be a collective name. In fact, almost every canton has its own varieties. This is not surprising: high quality dairy products are the country's brand. More than 150 types of Swiss cheese are made from Alpine milk. The most famous are Gruyères, Emmental, Vacherin and Schabziger. What can you taste in Switzerland, besides the symbols of the country - cheese and chocolate?
Top 10 Swiss dishes
Fondue
Fondue
The dish comes from Swiss shepherds. On fat Alpine pastures, they prepared a mixture of melted cheese and wine, dipped slices of bread into it. They laid down not only the principle of preparing a hearty dish, but also the ceremony of its use. There is a more prosaic version: zealous peasants did not throw out dried pieces of cheese, but melted them in a cauldron to dip the bread later. Today, fondue is found in almost all cuisines of the world, but the most delicious is only in Switzerland - with an extraordinary aroma and delicate taste created by several types of cheese. Modern chefs create variations on the theme of classic fondue: with pieces of chicken, boiled or fried meat. Desserts are prepared based on chocolate, blueberry jam and even ice cream. But it is worth trying real fondue from the best Swiss cheeses in the world, washed down with dry white wine.
Raclette
Raclette
Unlike melted fondue cheese, the base of the raclette is fried cheese. The dish was born in the Valais canton, where cheeses are made from fresh Alpine milk. Its history is interesting for its simplicity. With the onset of the first cold weather, residents celebrated the end of the grape harvest - with bonfires and young wine. The classic snack was cheese, which winemakers would string on a knife and toast over a fire. Then they began to heat the cheese head on a stone near the fire. The heated cheese was scraped off onto bread. In French, raclez means exactly "to scrape". In the Valais canton, raclette is still considered the signature dish of all holidays. Half the cheese is kept on the grill until it melts. The molten layer is immediately scraped off into preheated trays. Fried cheese is accompanied by mini-corn, pickled onions and jacket potatoes.
Graunbünden jerky
Local restaurants are called bündnerfleisch. The dish is certified by the prestigious Swiss quality mark. But this is not the only thing that makes it popular. The original product is excellent beef. It is rubbed with a mixture of herbs, spices and salt, and then dried in the fresh air for several months. No additives, everything is only natural, including mountain air.
The cooking technology is due to the geography of the canton of Graunbünden. In former times, in winter, residents were completely isolated due to heavy snow. And the preparation of products for future use was vital. Today, this traditional dish is cut into thin translucent slices and served with local wines. There is a more expensive version of Bündnerfleisch - from game. Venison is especially popular. So athletes, and ski resorts are located in Graunbünden, have something to pamper themselves with.
Minestrone
Minestrone
Unusually tasty and very thick vegetable soup. Originally from the cantons where native speakers of Italian and Italian cuisine live. The composition includes potatoes, carrots, onions and leeks, celery roots and roots, different types of cabbage, asparagus, zucchini, zucchini, eggplant. The more varied the composition of vegetables, the tastier. Add onions, garlic and tomatoes fried in olive oil. Cook in a small amount of broth for a long time, practically stew. The soup is dense and rich. Grated Sbrinz cheese, a kind of Swiss parmesan, is added to it. Everyone who wanted to try a spoonful of this soup can't tear themselves away and eat it to the end.
Basel chowder
The main dish of the Fastnacht carnival, an analogue of our Maslenitsa. The recipe for this simple dish is two thousand years old. Main ingredients: Rich broth, red wine, refried flour and grated hard cheese dressing. From these products, every chef, and even every housewife, turns out her own dish. During the carnival, all the "food" establishments of Basel and the surrounding area, from the smallest to the most respectable, offer chowder. Its main purpose is warming. Eaten with onion pie and fastinguey flatbreads.
Alpine casserole
Alpine casserole
It is worth trying at least because of the unusual combination of components - potatoes and pasta. These products are boiled, and together, they are poured with a sauce of melted cheese and cream, and baked. Sprinkle the cooked casserole with grated cheese and fried onions until crisp. It would seem a simple and satisfying dish. But it is unusually tasty - due to the high quality products and always fresh. There is also a casserole called rösti. It distantly resembles potato pancakes, but with a much larger number of ingredients - mushrooms, fried onions and the indispensable cheese. And the taste is richer. And in Zurich, "rösti" is cooked with veal.
Sausages
The abundance of sausages can be considered a common feature of all cantons. And in each of them they are cooked differently and deliciously. Bratwurst, typically German pork sausages, has been perfected in Switzerland, especially in St. Gallen and Bern. In the latter, fried sausages, berneplatter, are served with green beans in summer and sauerkraut in winter. In Zurich, you can see and taste two-meter sausages. Moreover, in local restaurants they are served in large troughs with sweet mustard seasoning. In Glarus, you can enjoy veal sausages with onion sauce and prunes. And in Geneva - pork liver sausages with herbs. You should also try knackerli - spicy sausages with spices and leberwurst - liver sausages with bacon.
Geshnetzeltes
Meat cut into narrow strips across the grain, fried with mushrooms and onions. There are many options. The most delicious dish is veal geshnetzeltes with herbs and sauce. In some restaurants you can try geshnetzeltes, which after frying is stewed in cream with pickled cucumbers, somewhat reminiscent of our beef stroganoff dish. It is curious to taste the pork geshnetzeltes with white wine. Or chicken, also with mushrooms and a lot of seasonings.
Zuger Kirstort
Zuger Kirstort
This Zug cherry cake is a must! Puff pastry is saturated with cherry liqueur and sandwiched with the most delicate butter cream. This masterpiece is complemented by finely crushed nuts, which it is sprinkled with.
The second famous cake is nutty. Invented at the beginning of the last century in the Engadine, a town in the ski resort of St. Moritz. This is the second signature dish of the canton of Graubünden, which is why another name for the Engandine cake is Bündner. The cake is flat, like a pie, made from shortcrust pastry. The essence is in the filling, which consists of coarsely chopped walnuts, boiled in caramel.
Sweets
And here the Swiss have the upper hand. The meringues (meringues), popular all over the world, were invented by Gasparini, a native of the Italian cantons of Switzerland. In Basel, gingerbread and chocolate almond biscuits are considered the calling card. There are also "lekerli", spicy honey gingerbread, and brioches with saffron, all kinds of sweet pies "kyuhli", muffins and shortbreads.
Muesli can be very conditionally attributed to sweets. And yet they are well worth trying right here where they come from. The recipe has been known since 1900. The author is the Swiss doctor Bircher-Benner, one of the founders of dietetics.
