Practical Information

Cuisine

The influence of Italy, France and, to a lesser extent, Germany, combine to create the Swiss culinary experience.

Cheeses such as Emmental and Gruyere, in addition to high-quality chocolates, come to mind when one thinks of the foods of Switzerland. Cheese figures prominently in their most famous dishes, such as fondue and raclette. Fondue is best eaten among friends, where each person has their own fork used to spear bits of bread, which are then dipped into the heated fondue pot, filled with a mixture of cheese, garlic, wine and spices. There are non-cheese fondues as well. Raclette is made by heating an entire round of raclette cheese until it melts. The melted cheese is then scraped onto individual dinner plates, accompanied by boiled potatoes, vegetables and a choice of meats, which can then be mixed in with the melted cheese.

Another well-known food with Swiss origins is Muesli, created by Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner in Zurich around the turn of the 20th century. He combined uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts as a healthy way of introducing fruits and fiber into the diets of his patients.

The malt beverage Ovaltine has its origins in Switzerland as well (where it is known as Ovomaltine). Created by Dr. George Wander in 1904 as a nutritious hot beverage, it is also used as a topping on buttered bread.