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Swiss cuisine is so much more than fondue
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CHEESE and chocolate are the double Cs often used to sum up Swiss cuisine.
And to many people outside Switzerland, Swiss cuisine is little known aside from its renowned cheese fondue, which is served in some French-style restaurants in Shanghai.
In fact Swiss cuisine is a fusion of culinary traditions from France, Germany and Italy, just as the country’s different regions speak one of these countries’ languages.
As well as French, German, Italian influence, Graubunden — a large canton in the southeast of Switzerland, bordering Austria, Italy and Liechtenstein — also plays a major part in Swiss cuisine.
Cheese fondue is the dish from the French part of Switzerland, which is eaten by constantly dipping small pieces of bread or potatoes in melted cheese heated in a commune pot. Some other dishes in this region are malakoff (fried cheese balls or sticks), Swiss meringue with double cream, and raclette (pouring melted raclette cheese from the round and over potatoes and dried meats).
Swiss cuisine in the German part of Switzerland revolves round meats and potatoes, as does traditional German cuisine, but with a Swiss influence too. There are sausages like kalberwurst (made with veal) and landjager (semi-dried and popular as snack in outings) as well as the classic potato dish rosti that is similar to hash browns.
In the Italian part of the country, the cuisine highlights polenta and risotto, but in Switzerland they are cooked differently.
The Graubunden canton has a few signature dishes as well, like the nut cake called bundner nusstorte, Chur meat pie, graubunden barley soup and pizokel with cabbage.
Cheese fondue is the most renowned Swiss dish for good reason — it highlights the high quality cheeses produced in Switzerland that are widely acclaimed worldwide. The country produces more than 400 varieties of cheese, mostly made from cow’s milk.
The traditional cheese fondue uses two main cheeses, emmental and gruyere, and both can now be found easily in Shanghai’s supermarkets that specialize in imported foods.
Emmental cheese was originated in the valley of the same name in west central Switzerland. This yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese has large holes formed inside, hence the Chinese name da kong zhi shi — “cheese with big holes.”
The taste of emmental cheese is savory but mild with a hint of nuttiness, and it can work wonders when it’s melted in grilled sandwiches.
Named after a Swiss village, gruyere cheese, on the other hand, is much harder and firmer in texture than emmental cheese with no holes inside. When gruyere is fully aged, it tends to have a bit of grainy texture.
This cheese is sweet with a hint of saltiness from the aging process. It’s ideal to use in baking for the advantage of not overpowering the taste of other ingredients, which is also why it’s well matched for fondue.
Gruyere cheese is also the key to good French onion soup as well as “croque monsieur” (a ham and cheese sandwich).
Another Swiss cheese often used in fondues is vacherin, a soft, rich cheese offering full flavor with a slightly acidic taste. This cheese is also seasonal, produced only from August to March and it goes well with champagne.
Chocolates made in Switzerland are renowned for their high quality, especially milk chocolate as most of chocolate consumed in Switzerland is milk chocolate.
Swiss milk chocolate contains less cocoa and is often creamier than most other kinds. Popular chocolate brands in Switzerland include Lindt, Callier, Toblerone and Suchard.
Teuscher is a renowned Swiss chocolatier especially known for champagne truffles made with Dom Perignon champagne and milk or dark chocolate cover. The brand has a store in Jing An Kerry Centre and a cafe near the Bund.
Where to find Swiss flavors in Yangtze River Delta
Although it’s difficult to find a Swiss cuisine restaurant in Shanghai that serves authentic Swiss dishes, one can still experience the flavor of Switzerland at Swiss Butchery, a butchery and delicatessen on Hongmei Road.
The butchery led by master butcher Markus Wermelinger not only offers prime cuts of beef, veal and pork, but also house made delicacies including veal sausage, roast beef, cordon bleu, meatloaf and more with ingredients and recipes from Switzerland. The delicatessen also sells Italian hams, various cheeses from Europe and other imported foods. The gruyere imported from Switzerland is 37 yuan (US$5.50) per 100 grams. If you want to make an easy cheese fondue at home, the 400-gram Emmi fondue pack at 86 yuan per pack can serve two as a meal.
Swissotel Kunshan, conveniently located in the center of neighboring Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, is also another option to try Swiss cuisine. Swiss hospitality is awaiting you.
• Swiss Butchery
Address: No. 6, Lane 3187, Hongmei Rd
Hours: 10am-6:30pm, from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays
If Swiss Butchery is too far away from your home, online shopping and delivery is also available at http://swissbutchery.com/.
• Swissotel Kunshan
Address: 387 Qianjin Rd M.
Tel: (0512) 5788-5788
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