Swiss Food Guide

When people think about Swiss food they usually think cheese and chocolate. It’s true that Switzerland is home to some of the best chocolate in the world and some first-rate cheeses, but there is much more to Swiss chow than moo juice and brown gold. Read on to learn about some of the other culinary treasures that Switzerland has to offer.

1) Fondue. Yes, I went there. Forget everything I said about Swiss food not being just cheese and chocolate. Fondue, as you know if you were around when it swept the country as a craze in the 70s, is cheese melted in a pot and served with pieces of bread and a long fork. Holy god it’s tasty. Do not think about the fact that you’ve just ingested your caloric allotment for the year in one meal: tuck in and enjoy the artery tightening goodness. Traditionally only cheese, fondue enjoyed a brief creative renaissance where chocolate was melted in place of cheese and fruit was used in place of bread. This is a delicious desert that’s fun to enjoy, but keep the kids away unless you cover the entire room in plastic beforehand.

2) Saucisson Vaudois. If you like sausage and eat pork you’ll love Vaudois sausage. From the French area of Switzerland comes a lightly flavored, aromatic sausage cooked in white whine and made from pork, pepper, lamb, angel tears and starlight. When made by a good chef – of which the Michelin guide says Switzerland ranks #2 in the world for – Saucisson Vaudois is a point of pride for the region.

3) Raclette. This is cheese and potatoes. Not what you think when you think ‘French Quarter’ but it’s pretty good, and somewhat unique. It’s not often you find cheese over potatoes served with little pickles and other dainties, and it’s not often you’ll see me type the word ‘dainties’ so cherish both. My recommendation is to try all the vegetables, even the pickled onions that make a martini a Gibson, and be able to say you did.

4) Zuercher Geschnetzeltes. In America this is what precedes ‘god bless you.’ In Switzerland, it precedes desert. Literally this means ‘cut meat, Zurich style.’ My Swiss colleague, Philipp, tells me that this noodly minced meat and cream concoction tastes as delicious as it looks gross. He doesn’t even think it looks gross. No, he’s not blind. As a chopped liver fan and a salisbury steak afficianado I can attest that some ugly foods are mind-numbingly good. As an overly curious man whose cat likes wet food I can likewise attest that some foods taste just like they look. you be the judge.

5) Lozarner Chugelipastete is last on this list but first on my personal ‘must try’ list. Just looking at it reminds me of soup in a bread bowl, but reading the ingredients and preparation instructions means that my girlfriend will be happy – I’ll be making this for us for dinner tonight. I think I’ll give you the opportunity, too. If this recipe doesn’t whet your appetite you should check your pulse. This recipe serves two of you or one of me.

Ingredients:
1 puff-pastry shell (450 - 500 g)
600 g veal (from the shoulder), cut into 2 - 3 cm cubes
250 g veal sausage
250 g pork sausage
400 g fresh mushrooms
150 g raisins
50 g Cognac
400 g onion, minced
80 g oil
60 g butter
3 dl red wine
8 dl demiglace sauce or veal stock
Flour, bay leaf, clove, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Pepper the veal cubes, coat lightly with flour and brown slightly in hot oil; add the wine and let simmer at a low temperature until it thickens, then add the demiglace sauce and the rest of the spices, cover and simmer. Marinate the raisins in Cognac. Clean the mushrooms, add them and simmer for 20 more minutes. Add sausage and raisins. As soon as it begins to simmer again, remove from heat. Fill the warm puff-pastry shell and serve immediately. A mixed salad is a perfect accompaniment to this dish.