Swiss cuisine has been formed over many centuries under the influence of the culinary traditions of neighboring countries - Italy, Germany, France. As a result, the gastronomic preferences of the Swiss are multifaceted and diverse, however, as well as the culture and traditions of the country. Each region has unique culinary preferences. For example, in the Italian cantons located in the southern part of the country, pasta is skillfully cooked. The French part of the state is famous for its luxurious fondue and raclette. The German peoples gave Swiss cuisine numerous sausages and rösti. In the eastern regions, dried beef and fish are excellently prepared.

The national cuisine of Switzerland is one of the most traditional and conservative, the locals revere centuries-old traditions, many dishes are prepared according to old recipes that have not changed for centuries.

Traditional Swiss menu

Swiss cuisine can be safely called ordinary, as a rule, simple products are used. However, in some cases, quite original and bold combinations of ingredients are encountered.

It is important! Certification of products and quality control is carried out by a state organization.

Dishes that have been awarded the Swiss quality label:

Cheese raclette

• cheese raclette;
• Welsh bread made from rye flour;
• jerky from Graubünden;
• bratwurst sausages.

The Swiss make sure that the national food is not only tasty, but also healthy, for this they carefully select products for each dish.

Interesting fact! A traditional Swiss breakfast is a pastry with cheese and a cup of coffee with milk, lunch is also as simple as possible, but the locals have a hearty and satisfying dinner.

Each region of the country is famous for certain treats.

Rosti

The national treat is traditional for Zurich, the German-speaking part of the country. The main ingredient is potatoes. There are several ways to prepare the dish - with the addition of bacon, vegetables or Appenzell cheese.

Traditional Christmas dessert. It is baked in the form of figurines. After baking, one side remains white and the other turns golden. In addition to honey, spices are included in the cookie recipe.

The recipe for the national dessert has spread throughout Europe, however, the old, original cooking method has been preserved in Zurich. According to legend, the wife poisoned her husband with the help of honey treats.

Interesting fact! The first mention of cookies dates back to the middle of the 15th century.

The dessert is traditionally baked for Christmas, so the figurines symbolize the biblical theme. The recipe for the treat is as simple as possible - flour, water, sugar and water, spices are added to taste. The dessert is baked at a temperature of +400 degrees, which is what gives the treat a typical brownish tint.

In addition to cookies and rösti, the cuisine of the Zurich region is famous for its champignon dish with cream and muesli sauce, which was invented by the physician Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner at the end of the last century.

Mehlsuppe flour soup

Wheat or rye flour is used as the main component, if the soup is prepared in the French-speaking part of the state, corn flour is added. Previously, the national dish was considered traditional for poor families. Today it is eaten on fasting days. In addition to flour, the recipe involves the addition of milk, salt, favorite spices, bacon, various herbs, and meat broth.

Good to know! To give the soup a more pronounced taste, the flour is fried.

Delicious dessert made from wheat flour, honey, candied fruits and almonds. Gingerbread was invented by traders more than seven centuries ago. They were first served in the 14th century at the Church Cathedral.

Basler Lackerli

Good to know! The official name - Basler Läckerli - appeared at the beginning of the 18th century.

Fasnachtskiechli is a kind of dessert, it is an ordinary brushwood, in translation it means a knee patch. In different regions, Swiss cuisine is served under the appropriate name:

Chilbiblätz

• in Bern they call it Chilbiblätz;
• in the French-speaking part of the country - Merveilles.

In Basel, brushwood is prepared during carnival days; in other regions, treats are baked when it is necessary to consecrate the church.

When traveling through Northwestern Switzerland, indulge in the pleasure of trying onion cheese pie.

Fondue

The basis of the national Swiss treat is cheese, the Gruyere and Vacheron varieties are most often used. The recipe also includes white wine and your favorite combination of spices. One portion of the dish is designed for 2-4 people. You need to eat it with bread, dipping a piece in the cheese mixture.

In each region, fondue is made from a specific combination of cheeses. Also in Swiss cuisine there are varieties of fondue:

• tomato - where tomatoes are used instead of wine;
• spicy - with chili peppers;
• mushroom - with champignons.

Good to know! Dessert option - chocolate fondue - melt chocolate, add cognac, cream and spices. Fresh fruits are dipped into the sweet mixture.

Raclette

In Swiss cuisine, there are two types of dishes - classic and restaurant.

In accordance with the traditional recipe, a piece of cheese is melted, then the cheese mixture is mixed with vegetables directly on the plate.

The restaurant serves potatoes in a bag and a plate of vegetables. They also bring an apparatus consisting of a brazier where pieces of meat are prepared, and a tray where cheese is placed and melted. The guest then mixes vegetables, meat slices and melted cheese on their own.

Good to know! Fondue and raclette are prepared in every city, but the canton of Vaud is considered the Swiss homeland of the first treat, and the second is Vallis. In addition, once in Vallis, try an exquisite national pie made from potatoes, cheese and apples. Fish is best eaten in regions where there are lakes - Geneva, Zurich, Biel.

In translation, the name of the dish means a thick soup from the Vaud region. It is prepared from a mixture of potatoes and leeks, which are stewed in cream. However, the main ingredient is a special kind of minced pork sausage with cabbage in a natural casing.

Interesting fact! Sausage is the property of the canton of Vaud, each product is accompanied by a certificate with a unique number and seal. At the beginning of October, the region celebrates Pape Vodua Day.

Alplermagronen

In translation, the name means - pasta of the Alpine shepherds. It is believed that it was prepared from everything that was at hand - pasta, potatoes, bacon and, of course, melted cheese. Served with apple sauce.

The recipe for alplermagronen varies depending on your geographic location - the canton of Uri does not use potatoes, and some other regions do not add bacon.

The canton of Zug produces the best cherry cake, the original recipe uses kirsch. The peculiarity of the national pie is cherries, it is believed that the most delicious berries are grown in the canton of Zug. The famous cherry trees were already known in 1627.

Interesting fact! Berries are used to make vodka, as well as a variety of desserts.

The traditional cherry cake is a biscuit, nut meringue, which are smeared with butter cream with the addition of cherry syrup.

Also traditional for the cuisine of Central Switzerland is a meat pie with a creamy filling. It is served in a bowl for first courses.

Polenta

This is a porridge that is cooked from crushed corn grits with the addition of cheese. Serve as a main course or side dish. For centuries, only poor families ate polenta. For the first time, corn was grown in Switzerland (Canton of Ticino) in the 17th century. However, only two centuries later, the national dish began to be cooked exclusively from corn flour, initially porridge was prepared from a mixture of different types of flour.

In accordance with the traditional recipe, cornmeal is kneaded with water, stirred with a wooden spoon and boiled for 30-40 minutes until thickened. After that, the mixture is laid out in a tray, cooled and cut into portioned pieces. Polenta is served with mushrooms, anchovies or pieces of meat.

Interesting fact! In Switzerland, polenta is sold in the form of a semi-finished product, it can be boiled, fried or baked, served sweet or salty.

The canton of Ticino is also popular for roasted chestnuts, they are sold on city streets, and sweet vermicelli is made from chestnut puree.

Jerky

In the canton of Graubünden, going to a restaurant requires the guest to know the local cuisine. Local dishes have such intricate names that it is quite difficult to figure it out without outside help. However, all treats are simple and tasty. Perhaps the most popular is Bundnerfleisch - dried meat. The national treat is prepared from different types of meat, the traditional recipe is from beef, the more expensive option is from game, and venison is in special demand.

Meat for several months is felled under the scorching sun on the street, it is first rubbed with spices, salt and herbs. Before serving, the treat is cut into thin slices, which are best tasted with red wine.

Interesting fact! The unique characteristics of Swiss cuisine come to the fore in Grisons cuisine. For several centuries, the canton lost touch with civilization during the winter, so the locals know a lot about food preparation, and each recipe is a real culinary art bordering on magic.

Cheese

Emmental

Many people associate Switzerland with cheeses; there are hundreds of varieties of this treat in the country, which has become national. Each region has unique cheeses prepared according to unique recipes. Emmental is considered the most "Swiss", it has a slightly sweet aftertaste, seasoned with a mixture of spices. Gruyère is another famous cheese, it does not have holes, and the taste has savory nutty notes. The oldest cheese is Appenzellern. The recipe for this treat is over seven hundred years old. The secret lies in a special mixture of herbs and white wine that is soaked in the cheese. Kirschwasser

Too strong drinks in the country are not in demand, local residents prefer beer and wine.

If you want to try Swiss strong alcohol, pay attention to the traditional national drink - cherry vodka. The taste is more like brandy. Experienced tourists also recommend trying plum and pear brandy.

Officially, there is no ban on the use of pets (cats and dogs) in the country. Materials periodically appear in the press confirming that cats are eaten in Switzerland. Defenders of wildlife demand a ban on such egregious facts. However, there is still no corresponding legislative act in the country. Why? Apparently because such exotic culinary traditions remain rather exceptional and extremely rare.

Disputes on the subject of bans on the use of cat meat are intensified after interviews with peasants appear in the press, who admit that they sometimes allow themselves to cook cutlets from cats. The villagers do not see anything reprehensible in this.

It is important! Some peasants are cunning and serve cooked dog meat or cat meat under the guise of beef meat dishes.

Veterinarians believe that more than 99% of Swiss people will refuse to eat a cat. However, animal advocates have an absolutely opposite opinion on this issue - 3% of the country's inhabitants regularly eat the meat of domestic animals - dogs and cats. Representatives of government agencies believe that it is impossible to regulate people's culinary preferences through laws. The debate about banning the eating of dog and cat meat ended with some cantons banning the sale of pet (cat and dog) meat in restaurants and retail outlets.

With its superb mountain scenery for an obscenely expensive ski vacation, lakes and unique climate, it's the perfect spot for a short getaway. Also, this country is the birthplace of some hearty and traditional dishes.

Whether you came to Switzerland to actively relax on the mountain slopes or visited it during a European tour, you have a great opportunity to participate in a real feast.

DON'T LEAVE SWITZERLAND WITHOUT TASTING...

Fondue

Fondue for Switzerland is already a cliche, the dish is imprinted in the culture of this country. For centuries, Swiss people living in the mountains have been making fondue with the principle of using bread and cheese that have stale for several cold months.

Today, both the guest and the local resident can taste fondue all over the country all year round. Dip homemade rustic bread in melted cheese (use half Gruyère and half Vacherin), add more wine and garlic and melt the whole mass over a fire. Enjoy fondue with white wine, or wash it down with schnapps or tea for an epic winter meal.

Mashed potatoes with onions and sausages / Papet Vaudois

Pape Vaudois is best described as mashed leeks and potatoes that are stewed for several hours. As a result, the onion takes on a dark golden color and blends with the fatty sausage unique to the Canton of Vaud (Vaudois sausage).

In Canton, this dish is deeply rooted in French culture. Pape Vaudois, with its infamous red stuffed sausage, is already a symbol of the region.

Rosti, Welsh style (Rosti)

Rosti is one of the iconic national dishes of Switzerland, which is made from grated potatoes and fried until crispy golden brown. Although no one knows when rosti was first made, the farmers of Canton always ate it for breakfast. Today you will find that Rösti is eaten all over the country at lunchtime.

When winter comes, in Canton Vale, the people love to indulge in rosti. Served in a Valais-style ceramic Rösti cauldron, it's a delicious mashed potatoes topped with salted bacon, fried egg, and melted Raclette cheese. It is served with spicy gherkins and pickled pearl onions.

Basel-style roasted flour soup

According to legend, a girl from Basel could not marry until she learned how to make soup from toasted flour. While there are countless ways to make this soup, it is essentially made with flour, butter, onions, and beef broth. It is then topped with grated Gruyère cheese.

The legend also says that the soup was invented by an absent-minded cook who was distracted by a chat and left the flour in the pot, and it accidentally burned. The cook was not at a loss and decided that this would be a new dish, which then took root. This soup is an integral part of the Basel festival and is officially eaten at 3pm.

Raclette

During the cold months, the scent of campfires and pines wafts along the roads of Switzerland. Wander the slopes and you will smell the sharp aroma of melted Raclette cheese. Originally from the Canton of Valais, Raclette is a local cheese usually grilled for a long time and scraped off layer upon layer of slowly melting cheese, then served with boiled potatoes, pickles and onions.

Thanks to modern equipment, homemade raclette is a common thing in Switzerland. It is prepared at home, where friends have gathered and have been waiting for slices of melted cheese for several hours, drinking the local Fandan wine.

Polenta and braised beef

In the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, polenta has always been kneaded, a dish made from cornmeal that has been used to make porridge for centuries. Traditionally, it is slowly cooked in a copper cauldron over a fire until it thickens. When winter comes, polenta is paired with savory, beef stew, and wine to suit every taste. Polenta is made in the spirit of the best village traditions.

Zurich veal and mushroom stew / Zurich-style veal (Zurcher geschnetzeltes)

A typical hearty winter lunch in Zurich is veal cut into cubes. The dish is made from chopped veal, veal kidneys or sweet meat, which is fried in a sauce of onions, butter, white wine, cream and mushrooms.

Of course, this classic dish hailing from the German-speaking city of Switzerland has taken root on culinary menus across the country. Pairing veal with wine sauce or Zurcher geschnetzeltes, as they say in the Swiss-German dialect, is a real treat, wherever you are.

Tartiflette

Tariflet was invented near the French-Swiss border in the department of Haute-Savoie, the birthplace of the local Reblochon cheese. Although cheese had been produced as early as the 16th century, it did not become popular until the 1980s, when the union was trying to boost the marketing of the cheese. And it worked.

Today, tarifflet is one of the staples in most ski resorts, especially in Romandy. This is a rustic casserole made from thinly sliced ​​potatoes, sliced ​​smoked bacon, sweet onions, and creamy nutty reblochon cream cheese (of course).

Bern-style lekerlis biscuits with hazelnuts

This dish has a long and rich history in Switzerland, especially around Christmas. Although their ancestors were German sweets, these gingerbread-like spicy biscuits have been served with tender hazelnuts in the Swiss capital for centuries.

The viscous, spicy sweet Leckerlis (if you also dip them in tea) are more than worthy of the list of dishes that you are going to try in Switzerland.

Swiss cheese Vacherin Mont D'Or

Only in Switzerland is cheese a seasonal product. From September to April, when there is still snow in the mountains, Vacherin Mont-d'Or cheese has been appearing in shops for more than a century.

Soft, spicy cow's milk cheese is made in the villages of the Jura canton. It is mixed with white wine and garlic, then this gooey cream cheese is placed in round wooden boxes. Cheese is served warm with boiled potatoes. Kind of a nice winter ritual.

Swiss traditional cuisine has developed as a result of many regional influences from Italian, French and German cuisines, but there are also a considerable number of dishes that are characteristic only of Switzerland itself. Historically, Switzerland has been a country of farmers, so traditional local dishes tend to be simple and made with readily available ingredients such as potatoes and cheese. It is cheese and potatoes that are the main ingredients of most traditional local dishes.

Switzerland is a small country, but it has many different cultures intertwined and even different languages ​​are spoken in different regions. Accordingly, there are a lot of regional dishes in this country. Various German, French and Italian culinary traditions are widely represented here. However, the widespread use of chocolate and cheese is characteristic of the Swiss. The most popular dishes are fondue and raclette. Curiously, both dishes were originally regional, but were subsequently popularized by the Swiss Cheese Union in order to increase sales of cheese.

A popular potato dish, not borrowed from neighboring nations and invented specifically by the Swiss, is rösti - one of the main national dishes, which is something like potato pancakes (fried potato cakes). Once upon a time, Swiss farmers used to have this dish for breakfast. Modern Swiss prefer to have breakfast in a European way - muesli, bread with butter and jam, rolls and coffee.

Switzerland is also famous for its authentic pastries. In particular, pies and buns with custard are especially loved by the local people. In general, they love pies, which are filled with a wide variety of products - from apples to onions.

And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the serverat - sausage, which is also considered the property of Swiss culinary specialists. Today, the serverat is well known all over the world, including Russia, but it was originally invented in Switzerland.

However, as mentioned above, culinary traditions in Switzerland vary greatly from region to region. In the French cantons, French dishes such as meringue, vaux (a dish of leeks and potatoes), cheese and chocolate fondue are popular. In German cantons, fatty meat dishes are revered, in Italian - pasta, pizza, risotto, polenta. The influence of culinary strong neighbors cannot be avoided by the Swiss, so their national cuisine contains many dishes, the roots of which go back to Germany, Italy or France.

Among soft drinks, the Swiss favorite is apple juice, both non-carbonated and carbonated. Swiss favorite apples are also used to make cider. As for alcoholic beverages, wine is very popular almost throughout the country, and only in some German-speaking cantons beer is consumed more actively.

In general, we can say that the Swiss national cuisine is very diverse, because a variety of peoples have contributed to its development. But, at the same time, Swiss cuisine is devoid of any exotic - simple ingredients are used here, from which very ordinary, but very tasty dishes are obtained.

The national cuisine of Switzerland has absorbed the best culinary traditions of Italian, French and German cuisines. After all, these countries are the closest neighbors. The main components of the local cuisine are cheese, milk, meat, eggs, butter, flour and spices. It is worth noting that all these products are of the highest quality, natural, fresh and without harmful additives. There is even a special organization in the country that issues certificates for the best Swiss products, which are awarded the prestigious quality mark - IGP or AOC. Such genuinely folk products include Grisons jerky, cheesy raclette, Welsh rye bread, bratwurst fried pork sausages, Vaud sausages and many others.

The main business card of Swiss cuisine , considered cheese and sour-milk products. There are over 150 types of cheese in this small country. The most famous - " Emmental, Gruyère, Appenzellern, Piora, Vascherin, Schabziger« and others. And the most famous Swiss dish is fondue. Several types of cheese are melted in boiling white wine and various spices are added. This dish is served hot with small pieces of white bread, which are dipped in a mixture and washed down with white wine. This is a classic version of fondue. Sometimes they cook right on the table, in one pot for the whole company.

In recent years, Swiss fondue has taken on a broader meaning. There are many types of this dish, which are prepared according to completely different technologies and recipes. For example:

• “chicken fondue” - chicken fillet stewed in a creamy sauce;
• « rustic fondue"- fried meat with potatoes, filled with melted cheese;
• « burgundy fondue» — boiled meat with cheese and spices;
• « chocolate fondue"- melted chocolate with honey and almonds, in which fruits, waffles, cookies, bread are dipped.

And even such unusual options - "blueberry fondue" and " ice cream fondue".

There are also other cheese dishes that are well-deservedly popular. Be sure to try:

• "raclette" - boiled potatoes (sometimes in uniform) with melted cheese and crispy pickled cucumbers;
• « swiss cheese soup» with fried crackers;
• Swiss meat, generously sprinkled with grated cheese; scrambled eggs in a water bath with cheese;
• Röshti - fried flatbread made from boiled potatoes (reminiscent of our pancakes), sprinkled with cheese.

As a first course, Swiss cuisine will offer you:

• minestrone vegetable soup
• « Graubünden barley soup,
• Ticinese soup "Busecco" with giblets,
• "Flour stew from Basel".

For the second, you should try:

• “geshnetzeltes” - narrow strips of fried veal with mushrooms, herbs and sauce;
• "Bernes Platter" - fried pork with beans, or sauerkraut;
• Bundenfleisch - beef jerky with salted onions;
• knakerli - spicy sausages with sauce and spices;
• Leberwurst - smoked liver and lard sausage;
• "Krepfli" - puff pastry with various fillings.

Did not ignore Swiss cuisine, sweet tooth. First of all, it is the famous Swiss chocolate. Every Swiss eats over 12 kilos of chocolate a year. Also, try:

• Lekerli - honey gingerbread; gingerbread from Basel;
• "kyukhli" - sweet pies;
• brunsli - chocolate chip cookies with almonds;
• "zuger-kirshtorte" - puff pastry with a sweet filling;
• "muesli" with nuts, apples and raisins (by the way, this dish was invented in Switzerland).

From soft drinks, the Swiss prefer coffee, milk, fruit juices, hot chocolate. Beer "Samichlaus" is popular, with a strength of up to 14%. Swiss wines are great too. Ferdan, Lavu, Coron, Dol, Johanniober, Lamey and others. Of the stronger drinks - " kirsch" (cherry vodka), "pflumli" (plum brandy), "williams" (pear brandy).
Welcome to hospitable Switzerland and bon appetit to all!

The most general division of Swiss gastronomy runs along an imaginary Roesti Graben, the "potato moat", which divides the country into potato lovers (i.e. residents of the German part of Switzerland) and everyone else.

The point here, of course, is not so much in potatoes, but in the cultural influence of neighboring peoples. So, the Germans added solid dishes with meat, mushrooms, cabbage to the cuisine of the inhabitants of the northern part of Switzerland. Swiss from the south of the country, the Italian neighbors instilled a love for polenta, pasta and risotto. The French enriched the cuisine of the Lake Geneva region with sauces and light fish dishes.

Every region of this small country, even every village, is proud of its original dishes and old recipes, the history of which is often covered with legends.

The Swiss, as a rule, cook from regional products, even though you have to overpay for such an addiction. Instead of parmesan, for example, they are more willing to buy sbrinz (Sbrinz)- a very hard cheese with a "floral", slightly salty taste. In any rural and urban market, first of all, farm specialty products are sold, and only then what is imported from neighboring countries - France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain.

The Swiss meal is accompanied by local wine. Here, the locals also show patriotism, preferring the wines of their region. Almost every canton is proud of its vineyards. Traditionally, they are considered the best accompaniment to local dishes. Unfortunately, Swiss wine is practically unknown to the world, as it is almost completely drunk by the Swiss themselves.

From soup to dessert

Soup in Switzerland is an obligatory part of dinner. In the old days, a peasant or a shepherd could have had the only hot meal of the day!

Swiss soups are simple and solid: for a long time, those products that are at hand have been used. So, in the canton of Ticino in the soup minestrone tomatoes, rice, beans and grated hard cheese (of course, sbrinz!), and in boussecou- offal, potatoes, peas and, again, cheese. In Graubünden, soups were prepared with barley groats, in the northern and northwestern regions of the country - with vegetables and wild mushrooms. And in Valais they eat an unusual and, at the same time, simple wine soup: to prepare it, you need white wine fendan (Fendant), water, cream and some spices.

Just as unpretentious dish gzottus (Gsottus), which appeared in the Goms region of the canton of Valais (to this day it is served only here). During the winter months, the locals stewed smoked ham, bacon, beef, and lamb (usually leftovers from previous meals) in an earthenware pot, interspersed liberally with pears and onions.

Another traditional lunch dish, originally also shepherd's, is a cheese and meat plate. Especially famous Valesian plate (Walliser Platte). There are several types of delicious dried meat, and lard cut into transparent slices, and local cheeses, and dry-cured sausage, pickled cucumbers and onions - in a word, everything that the hostess has prepared. Therefore, the principle of compiling a Valaisian plate is the same, but there are perhaps as many options and tastes as there are families in the canton of Valais.

Another popular Swiss dish is just as varied. rosti (Roesti) traditionally served for breakfast. The basis of the röshti is potatoes boiled in their skins, which are then peeled, rubbed on a coarse grater and fried in the form of a large flatbread on both sides until golden brown. This is, so to speak, the main recipe. Then fantasy comes into play, personal preferences and, last but not least, the range of products. In Basel, for example, rösti is cooked with lots of onions, in Ticino with bacon and rosemary, in Appenzell with pasta, horns, bacon and local spicy cheese. Appenzeler, in Western Switzerland - with bacon, tomatoes, paprika and cheese popular throughout the country gruyère… There are countless recipes. It is said that in the old days, Swiss men determined the culinary skills of their future wives by the way the rösti was prepared.

In the Lake Geneva region, Swiss cuisine is lighter and more varied. Here, lake fish is eaten in large quantities, and soups are replaced by salads seasoned with vegetable oil and vinegar. The hallmark of the Lake Geneva region has become perch fillet (Filets de perches): perch halves are lightly fried in butter and served most often in a lemon-cream sauce with potatoes.

The climate of the Swiss valleys (primarily the Rhone Valley) is favorable for fruit trees: apricots, pears, plums, apple trees, cherries. Fruits and berries combined with the famous Swiss chocolate and excellent fresh cream are the basis of the Swiss confectionery art. Fruit pies (seasonally), carrot cake, chocolate cake or mousse are all topped with a generous helping of heavy cream (the Swiss call it "double cream"). For some holidays, for example, St. Nicholas Day, they bake fruit bread(Glarner Fruchtebrot), for which dried apples, pears, plums, raisins, nuts and a fair portion of strong cherry tincture are used as a filling. Very popular in Ticino bread cake (Torta di Panne). Meringue is eaten all over Switzerland merengue, invented, it is believed, in the town of Meiringen (near it, according to Conan Doyle, the fight between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty took place - but this is so, by the way).

And of course, fondue!

We owe the appearance of this dish, which has become the hallmark of Swiss cuisine, to winter and peasant ingenuity. By the end of the harsh Swiss winter that cut off the mountain villages from the outside world, there was still quite a lot of dried cheese in the bins, which could only be eaten in a melted form. But the zealous Swiss hostess will never lose the old cheese. As the remnants of yesterday's dinner will not disappear - boiled potatoes, slices of bread. So the Swiss began to while away the long evenings, dipping slices of bread and potatoes into a hot mixture of two or three types of cheese (in most cases, this is Gruyère from the mountainous region in the southern part of the canton of Friborg plus local cheese), white wine (chasselas, it is also fendan, or Johannisberg) and spices.

Currently, almost every region of Switzerland offers its own original fondue recipe. In addition to cheese fondue, you will find fondue burgundy (Fondue Bourguinonne): instead of a cheese mixture, it uses boiling oil, and instead of bread, they use pieces of beef, which are also served with assorted sauces, pickled cucumbers and onions. Try the so-called Chinese fondue (Fondue Chinoise): thinly sliced ​​beef, pork, horse meat or fish are dipped in a boiling broth and eaten with sauce and vegetables. Fondue is traditionally washed down with Swiss white wine.

The first fondue recipe that has come down to us was written in 1699 in German - it was called "How to cook cheese in wine." However, long before that, the Swiss knew the dish raclette (Raclette). It is believed that the name comes from the French racler - to scrape. The bottom line is this: a large head of cheese (most often fragrant low-melting raclette is used) is melted over an open fire, then the melted cheese is scraped off the surface of the head onto a plate. Served like fondue - with boiled potatoes, as well as pickled gherkins and pearl onions - they are eaten as a bite.