Switzerland is well-known for the cuisine it produces, in particular cheese and chocolate. The country's food is diverse and seasonal, carrying influences from Italy, France and Germany. Traditional Swiss food is rich, in both flavor and calories, and rarely uses herbs and spices. Flavors and varieties vary among local towns. If you take the proverb "food and drink keep body and soul together" (commonly displayed in Swiss kitchens), it is clear that to understand Swiss food you must taste it, especially the area's more famous dishes.

Fondue and Cheese

Cheese and fondue go hand in hand, but Swiss cuisine has several fondue variations. Swiss cheese, made up of raw milk, is perhaps the most famous cheese to come out of the country. Other famous cheeses are still produced by hand and include Gruyère, Emmentaler, Tête de Moine, Sbrinz and Vacherin. Fondue is traditionally a pot of melted cheeses with kirsch, white wine or cider mixed in; chunks of bread or vegetables are then dipped into it. The cheeses melt in combination or as one solid cheese in a pot, all over a flame that keeps it melted. Fondue also makes for an entree or dessert, as in fondue Chinoise (beef fondue), or chocolate fondue with fruit and cakes dipped into it.

Swiss Chocolate

The Swiss eat the most chocolate out of any country in the world, according to The Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse). The country's chocolate is a delicacy that comes in many flavors and styles, including solid dark, milk, or with fillings in the middle such as fruit, jelly, cream or honey. Strict quality control ensures the fine grade of products manufactured by the major Swiss names in chocolate; Lindt, Nestle and Suchard. The solid chocolate can also be melted for enjoyment, and swirled with cream and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Melted Swiss chocolate is the basis for a popular beverage that is swirled with cream and spiced with nutmeg or cinnamon. This hot treat appears in virtually every cafe in Switzerland, especially during the winter.

Zürich Geschnetzeltes

This hard-to-pronounce dish is for the carnivores. Traditionally, Zurich Geschnetzeltes is made with small, chopped pieces of veal sauteed with mushrooms, white wine and cream. It is served with rosti, another well-known Swiss food. Rosti is a flat cake made out of fried grated potatoes; it is considered the Swiss version of American hash browns.

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