January 17, 2012
Member and chef Walter Kern pulled out all the stops for a veritable Swiss winter feast on his rooftop, sharing with our members some of the best and most traditional foods of his native Switzerland.
On the evening of January 17, 2012, we were treated to Swiss specialities such as Potage Grison barley soup, merlot and dried porcini mushroom risotto, stuffed veal breast with winter veggies, braised lamb stew with a special mash, Papee Vaudois (the king of Swiss sausages), and for cheese lovers, the one and only Vacherin Mont d’Or from the Jura/Vallee de Joux and aged Gruyere made only with summer grass milk.
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Winter Foods in Switzerland – A Quick Introduction
by Walter Kern, a Swiss Native and Chef
One knows Switzerland for many things, such as watches, cheese, chocolate, the mountains, nature’s unspoiled beauties and cold winters.
Because of the cold winters, many Swiss specialties are always very hearty and rich. These dishes are still made today with the traditional ingredients and components. And as they are winter dishes, the ingredients typically have an extended shelf life. In the past, some villages were so remote that they were literally cut off from the outside world in the winter by thick snow blankets. As a result, meats were often smoked, air dried and salted; vegetables were pickled and sterilized in glasses; fruits were also preserved in jams or dried.
While they are not freshly harvested, winter foods in Switzerland still retain full, robust flavours because they are always preserved quickly with highest quality and at peak ripeness or flavour.
Hot pots, such as vegetable stews, are common and are often served with pork of various preparation, mostly smoked pork sausage, such as the very tasty, wonderful Saucisson Vaudois. This is still served today in the French part of Switzerland on “papee”, a leek stew with a bit of potato. The saucisson is sliced then cooked over the papee so the delicious fat from 3-4 weeks-cured sausage is incorporated with the tender vegetables and creates a unique harmony of tastes.
Soups are a staple winter food with a long history that can be traced back to a time when Switzerland was actually very poor. It was inexpensive to make a good soup. One such winter soup from the mountains is Potage Grison (also known as Buendner Gersten suppe), a slow-cooked pearl barley soup with vegetables and air-dried beef that is still very popular today. In restaurants these days, full cream is added for a bit of elegance and decadence, but in the region of Grison, the original, traditional recipe is still made – no fancy stuff added!
Risotto, a rice dish originally from northern Italy, crossed the border into the Italian part of Switzerland, Ticino, and has subsequently spread into all four corners of Switzerland. Again, risotto is a filling, heavy dish, ideal for winter, with a risotto rice (round corn rice) base, onions and good soup stock. Later, it was improved and refined with parmesan and other grated hard cheeses depending on the region where it is served. Butter is also added to lend a rounded flavor and smoother texture.
In the mountains, especially in winter, the Swiss collected mushrooms from the surrounding forests, and dried and stored them to use as a flavourful ingredient in stews, risotto and pasta dishes.
Now, on to cheese. Where is the best cheese from – Switzerland, France, Italy? The best cheese does not necessarily adhere to geo-political borders. The best cheese come from the places where the cows have the best grass. In Europe, that is mostly in Alpine regions. Cheese is, again, a rich, nourishing food for winter; it was cold enough to keep it without deterioration. I am, of course, referring to artisanal cheeses and not commercially produced ones. Some cheeses such as a Gruyere in Etivaz is, for example, only made with summer grass milk, so there is no production of Gruyere in this region in the winter. And what a difference in flavor the grass makes!
What can learn from Switzerland’s traditional, authentic foods as prepared ages ago and whose traditions are still maintained?
The foods were seasonal, consumed fresh at its peak and the surplus preserved with all of its good flavour for the less giving winter months. The foods were simple yet very delicious. These traditional dishes made the best out of the little means they had available at certain times of the year.
These days, it might be not so fashionable to eat such foods, especially in big, cosmopolitan cities. But like fine organizations like Slow Food, there are organizations, societies and individuals who, fortunately, make an effort to bring back this kind of honest food to our tables. And with a growing appreciation for what defines great food, there is a renewed interest, even among the younger generations, in this kind of traditional, humble, simple, heartfelt food.