Switzerland is famous for many things. Among its calling cards, one can name the stunning Alpine landscapes, excellent ski resorts, fabulous spas, and luxury watches, but its culinary traditions are rarely on the list. Everyone knows about the mouthwatering chocolate and delicious fondue, but Swiss cuisine is not exactly widespread. And this is an omission that needs to be corrected, as the remarkable country has as much to offer as Germany, Italy, or any other country with prominent food culture! So, let’s see what foods you should try during your unforgettable Switzerland getaway to get to know the country better.
Best of Traditional Swiss Cuisine
Raclette
The idea of this dish is similar to fondue, but it’s not right to equate them. Raclette is made with a semi-hard cheese from Alpine cow’s milk: a half wheel is heated, and the melted layer is scraped onto the plate. It is served with boiled potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions. Even if you have never been to Switzerland, the dish might be familiar to you, as it’s also very popular in France. However, make no mistake, raclette is as Swiss as it gets.
Monastery writings from central Switzerland mention melted “roasted cheese” as early as 1291. Initially, it was the food of cow herders, who would roast a piece of cheese over a campfire in the evening and spread it, soft and melting, over a piece of bread, an easy and very delicious snack.
Älplermagronen
This rustic dish is deceptively simple. It seems that something prepared out of a few basic ingredients couldn’t taste as good as it actually does! Its name means “Alpine herders’ macaroni”. However, to say that it’s typical Italian pasta is a stretch. The Älplermagronen gained popularity at the beginning of the 20th century. Its key ingredients are nothing out of the ordinary and are readily available to everyone: pasta, potatoes, cheese, cream, and crispy fried onions, with applesauce served on the side. The resulting hearty dish was perfect for feeding herders who had to spend a whole day outside, keeping an eye on their cows.
Today, stockmen are not the only ones who get to enjoy the filling specialty. The Älplermagronen is very easy to find in restaurants around the country (lucky for us!). There are multiple variations of the classic recipe, so make sure to try at least a few versions to explore the delicious possibilities more fully.
Rösti
If you are a potato lover, don’t miss a chance to treat yourself to a serving of Rösti, a classic Swiss dish made almost entirely of potatoes (and you thought that Älplermagronen was minimalistic). As with most traditional Swiss dishes, the recipe started as farmers’ food, so Rösti is the ultimate comfort food: delicious, simple to make, and very filling. Essentially, it is a big pancake of grated potatoes, fried in butter until perfectly golden. A perfect Rösti has a crispy crust while staying soft on the inside, the sign of top-notch cooking. The secret is in the frying technique, but you will have to ask a local to learn it.
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Not every Swiss classic is a slow-cooked peasant dish, and Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, Zurich-style veal, is a great example. Thin strips of veal are quickly sautéed and served in a rich sauce of white wine, cream and stock, often with mushrooms. It’s simple, elegant, and one of the most popular dishes in the German-speaking part of the country.
As is usually the case, there is no single right recipe, although the first printed one dates back to 1947. Today, chefs all over Switzerland offer their own interpretations, and you can find versions with veal kidneys or without mushrooms. But one thing stays the same regardless of the interpretation: Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is best paired with Rösti and a glass of local white wine.
Gâteau du Vully
This famous tart from the Vully region, on the shores of Lake Murten, comes in two versions. The savory one is topped with bacon and caraway, and the sweet one, now just as famous, is known for the small holes pressed into the dough, where cream, butter, and sugar blend together during baking.
You will find the tart in good bakeries around the Vully and the Three Lakes region. But nothing compares to a freshly baked homemade one: many families have a treasured recipe, passed down from generation to generation. As is always the case with classic Swiss dishes, the ingredients are simple, but the technique is very precise.
As you can see, the traditional cuisine of Switzerland is beautifully diverse and delightfully simple. Despite being strongly influenced by its close neighbors, such as Italy, Germany, and France, Switzerland has preserved and stayed true to its authentic approach to cooking. The country’s classic dishes are all about taking a few simple ingredients and getting the maximum flavor. And one of the most amazing things is that the varieties of classic recipes differ from region to region! Unlike a McDonald’s Big Mac, which tastes the same wherever you are, traditional Swiss dishes are nuanced, and every corner of the country brings a bit of its soul to the classic recipes. So don’t linger in one place for long. Go and explore. Switzerland has a lot to offer, and revealing all its secrets is the work of a lifetime.
