Engadine walnut cake

Engadine walnut cake – "Fuatscha grassa" is the name that the people of the Engadine give to the sweet shortcrust pastry with which they make their famous Engadine walnut cake. But it is the filling that is truly memorable: walnuts, honey, caramel and cream. Engadine confectioners who worked in Italy, France and America in the 18th century are said to have brought the recipe home, perfecting it here. Today, Engadine walnut cake is one of the gastronomic icons of Graubünden, a Swiss culinary classic that is exported all over the world.

Torta di pane: made from old bread

Tessin – The celebrated torta di pane is made from old bread and is a favourite speciality in the Sopraceneri region. What was once a way of using up leftovers has become a dessert masterpiece, which in its finest incarnations can also contain amaretti biscuits, almonds, raisins, nuts, marsala, rum and a shot of grappa.

Schon in der Frühzeit war die Felseninsel zwischen dem Genfersee und den steil aufragenden Bergen bewohnt. Von hier wurde jahrhundertelang der Schiffsverkehr auf dem Genfersee und der bedeutende Landweg zum St.Bernhard-Pass beherrscht. Vom 12. bis ins 16. Jahrhundert gehörte Chillon den Grafen von Savoyen, dann eroberten die Berner die Wasserburg, danach die Waadtländer. Über 300’000 Besucher besichtigen pro Jahr Chillon mit den Wandmalereien aus dem 14. Jahrhundert, den unterirdischen Gewölben, Paradesälen und dem original erhaltenen Schlafzimmer aus der Zeit der Berner Herrschaft. Schon in der Frühzeit war die Felseninsel

Risotto: a creamy delight

Tessin – There is hardly a restaurant in Ticino that does not serve a home-made risotto. And hardly a Ticinese who will not philosophise for hours about which rice variety, which white wine and what cooking time are the only "right" ones. The fact that the first and only Swiss rice is cultivated in the Terreni alla Maggia is a matter of special pride for them all.

Mazza: a meaty feast

Tessin – The Ticinesi love their soil. Many families have their own vineyards, make their own nocino (walnut brandy), and in summer send a few pigs up to the alp – which are then slaughtered in the autumn. From them comes the famous Ticino "mazza" – meats including lardo and pancetta, and homemade sausages such as salami, luganighe and liver-enriched mortadella.