Swiss Cuisine

Swiss cuisine comes from a very special country located in the heart of the Alpine Europe, which has the oldest democracy in the world. It is a country with French, Italian and German ascendants who many, many centuries ago, decided to form a confederated country, and who have lived like that until today. That country is Switzertland. 

A particular cuisine is made of local ingredients with a cultural touch. With this in mind, consider the Swiss as a mix of German, North Italian and French cuisines, all performed with a Swiss touch. Although the three origins and languages give their regional cuisines a particularity, there are some dishes that have become traditional from the whole country.

Swiss cuisine is firmly based upon fresh or preserved fruits and vegetables, processed meats and dairy products.  Almost all dishes contain more or less dairy products such as cheese, milk, cream, butter and/or yoghurt. By the way, if you visit Switzerland, the stalls of farmers and cheese merchants at the weekly markets are a true treasure. Many of the cheeses sold there come straight from the Alpine pastures and are cut from the wheel. The many cheese dairies and Alpine cheese cellars are also well worth a visit.

Cheese is a main player in Swiss gastronomy: almost every region has its own kind of cheese, with a very particular taste. Some of those cheeses have become well known worldwide: the aromatic Appenzeller; the full-flavored Sbrinz; the Emmentaler, famous for its big holes; the world-famous Gruyère or the Tête de Moine, which is shaved into decorative rosettes. With all these and some other 450 kinds of cheese Swiss can make a fondue, a raclette or an «afternoon snack platter» a complete culinary experience.

Some of the most famous dishes from the Swiss cuisine are:

• The Cheese fondue, which is prepared with melted cheese and eaten with the use of bread cubes picked up on the fork and swiveled in the melted cheese. This traditional dish is served in a traditional ceramic fondue pot called ‘caquelon’.

• A Raclette consists of cheese melted over a grill and served over cooked and sliced potatoes. It can be accompanied by cocktail gherkins and onions as well as pickled fruit, and preserved meats.

• The Älplermagronen is a kind of gratin with potatoes, macaroni, cheese, cream and onions, served with stewed apple on the side.

• The Rösti is a flat hot cake made of grated, cooked jacket or raw potatoes and fried in hot butter or fat. The dish is bound by the starch contained in the potatoes.

• The Birchermüesli it’s a mix of oat flakes, lemon juice, condensed milk, grated apples and hazelnuts or almonds.

As a dessert, Swiss chocolate is a champion well known all over the world. No matter the region, one thing is certain: Swiss people enjoy chocolate. There are many chocolate factories all over the country, and Switzerland is most definitely the top-notch choice for a select dessert.

Chocolate is made of cacao, original from the Americas that came to Europe in the course of the 16th century. By the end of the 17th century chocolate started to be produced in Switzerland. In the second half of the 19th century Swiss chocolate started to gain a reputation abroad.

Some of their inventions and types of chocolates are the milk chocolate, the fondant chocolate and the praline chocolate. The chocolate confectionery was first developed in Switzerland and then its chocolatiers went abroad and established in other countries -where chocolate became also produced and developed- as in Germany, Russia, Scandinavia and Finland. Even Belgian chocolate has Swiss roots.

As traditional as its food is the Swiss way of entertaining around eating. Swiss people like to have dinner in a cozy family atmosphere, in an old-style rustic decor, wood beams, and plenty of Swiss kitsch.

Choose from our list of restaurants in Bogota that offer Swiss Cuisine and enjoy the experience.

The List

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