Slow Food

Alp Sprinz AOP

Alp Sprinz AOP is the cheese of Central Switzerland and is produced in the Alps according to strict specifications. Cows graze on the lush meadows of the Central Swiss Alps and cheese is made exclusively from fresh raw milk during the summer season. With roots going back to the 16th century, the cheese is considered one of the oldest in Switzerland.

Alpziger

Alpziger is a cow’s milk curd produced on the Alpine pastures in the cantons of Fribourg, Bern and Obwalden. The whey from various raw milk products is used for production. Alpziger is consumed fresh, stored or smoked, and is now also used as a filling for pies or bread.

Traditional natural air-dried Bündnerfleisch

The production of dried meat has been cultivated and passed on in the canton of Graubünden for centuries. To produce Bündnerfleisch, the muscle meat of beef shanks is rubbed with salt and spices and stored in its own juice before being dried in the fresh mountain air of Graubünden.

Churer Beinwurst

Traditionally, the Churer Beinschinken ham used to be made in Chur in winter using cartilage from the pig’s leg. Today, more valuable parts of the pig are used, which are soaked in wine with various spices for several days before being further processed by hand.

Cicitt delle valli del Locarnese

The history of Cicitt sausages is closely intertwined with that of goats in the valleys around Locarno. The sausages get their intense aroma from an ancient recipe and can be several metres long.

Black bee

The black bee is a Swiss honey bee and was the only European bee breed to reclaim the habitat north of the Alps after the Great Ice Age. In collaboration with Pro Specia Rara, the marketing of honey focuses on a specific breed of bee for the first time ever.

Farina bóna

Farina bóna, or “good flour”, is a traditional corn flour produced in the Onsernone Valley, not far from Locarno. The flour’s distinctive flavour comes from roasting the corn and fine milling the toasted kernels. Historically, farina bóna was mixed with water or milk making a porridge, to which berries or wine were added.

Furmagin da Cion

In the local dialect of Val Poschiavo in the very south-east of Switzerland, the pig is called “il cion”. And a “furmagin” is a meat pie. In the past, each family made its own furmagin during the Metzgete feast. The pâté, made from pork, is baked in the oven and can be eaten hot or cold.

Traditional walnut oil

Local walnut oil is produced in the village of Sévery in Vaud. The dried walnuts are shelled in a traditional mill, the Moulin de Sévery, crushed, roasted and then pressed into a strongly fragrant oil. The canton of Vaud accounts for 90% of all Swiss oil and nut production.

Mascarplin

Mascarplin is a typical product of Val Bregaglia. It is a matured Ziger soft cheese, which is made from goat’s milk. This ripened ricotta is also called “mascalpel” in the upper part of the valley. The goat farmers produce small quantities of the speciality each spring and autumn.

Paun sejel Val Müstair

Paun sejel is a Swiss bread from Val Müstair, which is traditionally made from indigenous Graubünden rye. The sourdough bread is typical for the region and is produced by only one baker in the valley.

Chantzet du Pays d’Enhaut

Chantzet is the typical sausage of the Pays d’Enhaut. A traditional blood sausage with sliced white cabbage, pork and various spices. This artisanal product is now made by only two butchers in the canton of Vaud – and completely by hand.

Ur-Roggenbrot AOP rye bread from Valais

Ur-roggenbrot AOP rye bread from Valais is made exclusively with rye flour, water and salt. The sourdough bread is a dark brown, compact, long-lasting product. Hard and crispy on the outside, moist on the inside with a characteristic sour taste. It goes well with meat and cheese, as well as with desserts.

Toggenburg goat

This ancient breed of goat bears the name of the eponymous valley in the canton of St. Gallen. The breed was kept in the region from the 18th century onwards and is characterised by its adaptability and hardiness. For centuries, the animals contributed to the sustenance of the poorest families in the region.

Traditional Emmentaler

In the Emme valley, the traditional Emmentaler AOP cheese is produced according to ancient methods. The world-renowned tangy cheese is made using raw milk from local farmers whose cows graze in meadows. One wheel can weigh 100kg and matures for at least 12 months.

Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP from raw milk

Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP is a true local Fribourg product. It is produced exclusively in the Alpine and village cheese dairies of the canton. Vacherin is appreciated as a dessert cheese as much as in traditional fondue. Only 2% of production is made from raw milk.

Zincarlin dala Vall da Mücc

Zincarlin dala Vall da Mücc is a fresh cheese made with raw milk from Ticino. It comes from the Valle di Muggio and is very complex to produce. The cheese is aged for one to two months in cellars typical to the Monte Generoso massif.

Swiss Brenzerkirsch

Brenzerkirsch is a distillate made from small and medium-sized black sweet cherries from tall trees. The name Brenzerkirsch is used by fruit growers and distillers for the old varieties of cherry. These are intended exclusively for the production of schnapps and are not suitable for the fruit bowl.

Damson landscape in the Table Jura

The damson landscape in the Table Jura is unique. The narrow valleys and wide plateaus with their tall trees are home to old varieties of damsons. This subspecies of the plum is processed in the region to make jams, chutneys, dried fruit and many other products.