Swiss cuisine
Swiss cuisine (German: Schweizer Küche, French: cuisine suisse, Italian: cucina svizzera, Romansh: cuschina svizra) is an ensemble of national, regional and local dishes, consisting of the ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed in Switzerland or assimilated from other cultures, particularly neighboring countries.
The climate of Switzerland allows for a large variety of terroirs, and therefore a wide range of indigenous food, from simple cereals to refined products like cheese and wine.
Therefore, one of the main characteristics of Swiss cuisine is its simplicity, with many dishes made up of few but hearty ingredients, often of dairy origin.
The increase in purchasing power and a certain homogenization of taste have allowed the emergence of some emblematic national dishes such as fondue and rösti.
Various cereals and fruits are cultivated in the lower regions, while the warmest and sunniest areas in the south lend themselves to growing grapes, chestnuts, and even olives.
[4] The mountainous and coldest areas feature the perhaps most emblematic agricultural practices of Switzerland: dairy farming and alpine transhumance.
Swiss meat specialties are highly diversified: all sorts of pork sausages, bratwursts, smoked ham, salami, prosciutto, etc.
Swiss lakes and rivers provide a small fraction of fish and shellfish consumed in the country.
[12] Two of the most popular Swiss dishes are fondue and raclette, which essentially consist of melted cheese accompanied with bread or potatoes.
[13] Food preferences vary within Switzerland, often reflecting languages: the German-speaking north and east (the predominant linguistic area) has strong ties with Central Europe, whereas the French-speaking west and the Italian-speaking south tend to have more ties with Western and Mediterranean Europe.
The agrarian regions began to specialize towards the end of the Middle Ages, thus developing their own food pattern: in the Alpine regions, breeders fed on dairy products, cheese, nuts, berries, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits; on the Plateau, ploughmen fed on porridge, soups, bread, legumes, vegetables and, from time to time, wine.
[17] The population boom of the early modern period led, while agricultural productivity stagnated, to an impoverishment of the diet (essentially based on porridge) and a decline in meat consumption.
Muesli, known in Switzerland as Birchermüesli, is a breakfast or snack consisting of cereal (oat) flakes, chopped fruit and milk.
After the Second World War, muesli became very popular throughout Switzerland thanks to home cooking courses and being served to the armed forces.
[20] Rösti is a kind of fried potato cake served as a main course or side dish.
This dish, originally from Zürich, was first simply made by frying grated raw potatoes in a pan.
[22] This culinary specialty gives its name to the röstigraben, which designates the cultural differences between the German- and French-speaking parts of the country.
Fondue is a dish of usually several hard cheeses, such as Gruyère and Vacherin, which are melted with white wine and eaten hot with bread.
[25] Contrary to muesli and rösti, fondue and raclette are not meant to be staple foods, but rather convivial dishes intended for special occasions.
Popular dishes are polenta and risotto, often accompanied by the Luganighe and Luganighetta, a type of artisan sausages.
The Stube, Stübli or Stiva (German and Romansh), Brasserie (French) and Osteria (Italian) typically serve simple and traditional dishes.
[28] As a culinary hotspot in the middle of Europe where high-quality ingredients are readily available,[38] Switzerland boasts a high number of luxury restaurants.
Wine is produced in many regions of Switzerland, particularly the Valais, the Vaud, the Geneva, the Ticino, the Neuchâtel and the Zürich cantons.
Spirits and beverages containing distilled alcohol (including wine coolers like Bacardi Breezer) can be bought at age 18.
It is usually paired with fondue or raclette dishes or drunk after dinner, and sometimes poured into coffee alongside dessert.
The chocolate drink Ovomaltine (also known as "Ovaltine") originates in Switzerland and enjoys ongoing popularity, particularly with young people.
