Älplermagronen
A traditional all-in-one pasta, potato and cheese dish that originates from the German part of Switzerland. The classic version is made by layering cooked potatoes and macaroni with cream and cheese, before baking it in the oven. People usually serve it with fried onion rings and a stewed apple sauce on top. The dish sometimes comes with bacon, too. Whatever ingredients you include, though, Älplermakkaronen is a seriously hearty meal that warms you up a treat.
Fondue
Fondue in Switzerland may seem clichéd, but it is indelibly woven into the country’s fabric. It is a must-have for any local or visitor to the country from autumn to spring. Dunk rustic country bread into melted cheeses, infused with lashings of wine and garlic, bubbling over an open flame. Pair yours with white wine and chase it with schnapps or tea for an epic meal.
Rosti
Thinly grated potatoes, pan-fried until crisp and golden, rosti is one of Switzerland’s iconic national dishes. Served steaming in a ceramic dish, Rosti Valaisanne is a delightfully addictive mash-up of rosti topped with salty bacon, fried egg, and melted raclette cheese, served alongside tangy gherkins and pickled pearl onions.
Raclette
Raclette is a local cheese customarily grilled slowly over a fire, with layer-by-melted-layer sliced off to blanket boiled potatoes, pickles and onions. Contemporary raclette machines make grilling commonplace in Swiss homes, where friends gather for hours, waiting for slices of raclette to melt, while drinking copious glasses of local Fendant wine.
Zurcher Geschnetzeltes
Zurich-style diced veal is an iconic national dish that makes a hearty lunch. Made of sliced veal, calves’ kidneys and sweetbreads sautéed in a gravy of onions, butter, white wine, cream, and mushrooms. The mixture of cream laced with wine over veal, Zurcher geschnetzeltes as it’s known in Swiss-German dialect, is a delight.
