As far back as the 17^th century, Rösti potato cakes made from grated potato were consumed by the farmers of Zurich and Berne from breakfast onwards. This has now become a national dish and is prepared with variations using cheese, ham, eggs and herbs.

Traditional dishes and recipes

Swiss cuisine is simple and regional and was traditionally shaped by the rural lifestyle. Recipe ingredients were sourced locally and reflect a self-sufficient approach. The majority of dishes deemed to be traditional nowadays were once festive dishes and are not representative of the everyday food of the population of the time.

Essentially, starters are not consumed as part of a Swiss family meal, except perhaps for a salad or soup which can also be a meal in itself, especially in the evening. Instead, starters are reserved for receptions and festive meals and are usually hot and hearty, based on local produce such as mushrooms or cheese.

Barley soup, a specialty from Graubünden. 

©Shutterstock/ Lilyana Vynogradova

Regional specialities from Ticino: wine, bread, salami, cheese and chestnuts. Val Lavizzara.

©Switzerland Tourism swiss-mage.ch/Christof Sonderegger

Perch fillets are eaten around Lake Geneva during the warmer months. 

©Office du Tourisme du Canton de Vaud

<em>Gâteau du Vully.</em>

©Office du Tourisme du Canton de Vaud

The main dish comprises a meal in itself. In the past, it was consumed on its own, without a starter or dessert and was generally hearty, consisting of vegetables and meat, based on whatever supplies the family had to hand. Nowadays, this is still a hearty dish influenced by its rural and mountain origins.

Desserts are generally quite rich and are almost always linked to religious or historical commemoration. For the majority of the population, desserts remain the exception rather than the rule and their diversity is due to the fact that each state or even each locality has its own particular pastry recipes: Rüeblitorte, a carrot cake from Argovie, Biberli from Appenzell, a spiced bread filled with almond paste, Meitschibei from Berne, a croissant filed with hazelnut cream or the Gâteau du Vully, a cream and sugar ‘cake’, a speciality from the plains of western Switzerland.

©Shutterstock/ Barbara Neveu

A dietary exception: Bircher muesli

Bircher muesli is renowned worldwide but was first created in Switzerland towards the end of the 19^th century. Dr Bircher-Benner (1867 – 1939), a Swiss doctor and nutritionist, dedicated his life to global medicine and the ties between food, the body and society. He derived his inspiration from mountain-dwellers who ate porridge. The authentic Bircher muesli – which means ‘little purée’ – is a mix of oat flakes, whole grated apples, oleaginous fruit (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts), lemon juice and a little condensed milk.