This is Swiss cuisine

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Intro

Every region of Switzerland has its own specialties: Polenta in Ticino, Bündnerfleisch in Graubünden, Geschnetzeltes in Zurich. Swiss cuisine is as diverse as its landscapes – from hearty classics to sweet treats. Discover the culinary traditions from French-speaking Switzerland to the Alps and learn what makes each region unique.

Traditional dishes

Swiss cuisine combines influences from the German, French and North Italian cuisine. However, it varies greatly from region to region with the language divisions constituting a rough boundary outline. Mind you, many dishes have crossed the local borders and become firm favourites throughout Switzerland. These dishes include, among others: 

  • Cheese fondue

    Melted cheese with bread cubes. The bread cubes are picked up on the fork and swivelled in the melted cheese, which is served in a traditional ceramic fondue pot called ‘caquelon’.

  • Raclette

    Melted cheese served with "Gschwellti" (jacket potatoes), cocktail gherkins and onions as well as pickled fruit. 

  • Älplermagronen

    A kind of gratin with potatoes, macaroni, cheese, cream and onions. And most importantly, stewed apple on the side. 

  • Rösti

    A flat, hot cake made of grated, cooked jacket or raw potatoes and fried in hot butter or fat. The dish is bound by nothing apart from the starch contained in the potatoes.

  • Birchermüesli

    Developed around about 1900 by the Swiss doctor Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Brenner, it contains oat flakes, lemon juice, condensed milk, grated apples, hazelnuts or almonds. 

  • Zürcher Geschnetzeltes

    Tender slices of veal cooked in a creamy white wine and mushroom sauce, traditionally served with Rösti. A classic Swiss dish from Zurich, rich in flavor and perfect for a hearty meal.

  • Swiss chocolate

    The invention of milk chocolate by Daniel Peter as well as the development of conching (fondant chocolate) by Rodolphe Lindt were closely connected with the rise of Swiss chocolate's renown.

  • Swiss cheese

    Each area of the country, each region has its own types of cheese – the diversity of products created from one single base ingredient – good Swiss milk – is quite astonishing! 

Specialities from different regions

Midlands Region of Bern

  • Emmental cheese:
    The world-famous hard cheese with large holes originates from the Emmental region and is a staple ingredient in the region's cheese dishes.
  • Berner Platte:
    A varied selection of meat and sausage (ham, bacon, beans) on a plate – a festive dish full of flavor.
  • Zopf:
    Traditional Swiss yeast bread, artfully braided, with a golden brown crust and light texture, served with butter and jam.

Emmental cheese
Berner Platte
Zopf

French-speaking Switzerland Lake Geneva region and Romandie

  • Saucissons vaudois:
    Raw sausage similar to liver sausage from the canton of Vaud – often enjoyed with potatoes or mustard.
  • Longeole (Geneva):
    Peppery pork sausage with fennel, a typical dish from Geneva.
  • Fondue moité-moité (Fribourg / Vaud):
    Cheese fondue with half Gruyère and half Vacherin – a creamy specialty from French-speaking Switzerland.

Saucissons vaudois
Fondue moité-moité

Eastern Switzerland Grisons

  • Capuns:
    Swiss chard rolls filled with spaetzle dough and meat – a specialty of the Grisons Alps.
  • Bündnerfleisch:
    Air-dried beef with intense seasoning – perfect with bread or as an appetizer.
  • Engadine nut cake:
    Caramelized walnut filling in crispy pastry – a famous sweet treat from the Engadine region.

Capuns
Bündnerfleisch
Engadine nut cake

Central Switzerland Lucerne-Lake Lucerne region

  • Alpkäse / Sbrinz:
    Aromatic, long-aged hard cheese from the Alpine regions around Lucerne – ideal with wine or on bread.
  • Birnenweggen (Bireweggli):
    Pastry made from yeast, shortcrust or puff pastry, filled with dried pears, figs, nuts and spices.
  • Lucerne Chügelipastete:
    Puff pastry pie filled with veal and mushroom ragout – a comforting classic.

Alpine cheese / Sbrinz
Lucerne Chügelipastete

Eastern Switzerland Region of eastern Switzerland / Appenzell - St. Gallen

  • St. Gallen bratwurst:
    Mild, delicately seasoned bratwurst, traditionally eaten without mustard – a cultural treasure of eastern Switzerland.
  • Appenzeller cheese:
    Strong hard cheese, treated with a secret herb and spice brine during maturation.
  • Rheintaler Ribel:
    Roasted cornmeal (Ribel), served as a side dish or main course.

St. Gallen bratwurst
Appenzeller cheese

Italian-speaking Switzerland Ticino

  • Polenta:
    Cornmeal porridge, often served with rich sauces or fried sausages – Mediterranean-style.
  • Risotto alla Ticinese:
    Creamy risotto with local ingredients such as Merlot or mushrooms – typical Italian-Swiss.
  • Panettone:
    Sweet yeast bread with candied fruit, especially popular around the holidays.

Polenta
Risotto alla Ticinese

Southern Switzerland Valais

  • Cholera:
    A hearty stuffed pie made with potatoes, vegetables, fruit, and cheese. 
  • Brisolée:
    Roasted chestnuts with wine and local sausages – a typical autumn dish in Valais.
  • Valais dried meat:
    Air-dried beef from Valais, spicy and typical of the region.

Cholera
Valais dried meat

Northeast Switzerland Region of Zurich

  • Zurich-style sliced meat with rösti:
    Tenderly sliced veal in a creamy mushroom sauce, served with crispy rösti – a classic dish from the city of Zurich.
  • Tirggel:
    Thin, crispy honey biscuits with traditional patterns.
  • Zuger Kirschtorte:
    Multi-layered cream cake with kirsch flavor, characteristic of the Zug region (near Zurich).

Zurich-style sliced meat with rösti
Zuger Kirschtorte (Zuger cherry cake)