Typical swiss food – a small country with a lot of dishes
Switzerland, the land of cheese and chocolate, has actually more regional dishes than national dishes. Eventhough some of them are meanwhile famous countrywide.
The swiss dishes combines the influences from northern Italian, French and German cuisine. This influences are reflected in the diversity of the recipes.
Cheese fondue
Cheese fondue is probably the most famous swiss dish. There are even places in southern brazil that serve it as a speciality. It is basiically special swiss fondue cheese garlic, wine or brandy, and corn flour or starch. It is served in a purpose-builed ceramic pot, called the “caquelon”. Underneath the pot is a small burner that makes sure the cheese maintains at a specific temperature. Once the cheese is ready pieces of bread, cut with love, are put on a particular, slightly elongated fork and dipped into the melted cheese. There are different types of fondue available in Switzerland nowadays, such as chocolate and meat fondue.
Raclette
The name of this dish comes from the french word racler, which means “to scrape”. It’s basiclly melted cheese on a potato, called “gschwellti” with onions and pickled gherkins. Additionally meat and vegtables can be grilled on top of the Raclette-”Öfeli”. It’s a really common dish, which normally is eaten during the winter times in family, especially on christmas.
Swiss chocolate
Chocolate came to Europa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Switzerland started to produce it. After the second half of the 19th century, swiss chocolate became famous also abroad. During that time Daniel Peter invented the milk chocolate and Rodolphe Lindt the “fondant chocolate” conching. Swiss chocolate is made with swiss milk produced by swiss cows, which live on a high attitute and receive e special treatment. This is why swiss chocolate differs from other chocolate.
Swiss cheese
Like for the choclate, also for the cheese the single basic product is good swiss milk. Famous swiss cheeses are: Appenzeller, Sbrinz, Emmentaler and Gruyère.
This are just some of the famous dishes and products eaten and produced in Switzerland. There is much more to explore, but to have e real authentic experience you should reserve a table in one of the many famous restaurants in our country and taste it yourself.
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