Switzerland is a fascinating country. Like the scenic landscape, heritage towns, lakes and shopping districts; street food in Switzerland is equally enticing and diverse. With plethora of roadside food kiosks and stalls lined along the streets, Switzerland leaves no stone unturned to pamper the food lovers with its tempting local flavours.
Go through this detailed guide on Switzerland street food and make sure you don’t miss out on any alluring and tempting experiences.
Must try items from the list of tempting street foods in Switzerland
While you’re in Switzerland, it’s the food of the nation that you must try. The country may not have the best street food culture but it has some pretty good snacks to try while on street.
- Fondue
- Rosti
- Roasted Flour Soup
- Polenta and Braised Beef
- Tartiflette
- Raclette
- Älplermagronen
- Vacherin Mont D’Or
- Nusstorte
- Basler Leckerli
1. Fondue – The signature street food of Switzerland
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Fondue is one of the most popular street foods in Switzerland. Literally meaning “melted”; in French, it is also available widely in France and Italy. This is a pot of melted cheese, wine and garlic, served on open flame and people dip their bread pieces with long forks and eat it. It is considered to be one of the staple foods of local people, as molten cheese helps to keep them warm in colder months. Serving fondue with hot steaming cup of tea makes a wholesome winter meal.
Best places to eat Fondue: Le Dezaley, Swiss Chuchi and Chasalp
2. Rosti – An iconic national dish
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Rosti- a Swiss style hash brown is a famous Switzerland street food, since ages. Rosti is prepared from grated fried potato with stuffing of cheese, apple and onion. This food had originated as a staple breakfast for farmers in Bern and now considered as a delicacy, widely available all across the country. Rosti is topped with salty bacon, fried egg, and melted raclette cheese, served as a healthy replacement of fries along with tangy gherkins and pickled pearl onions.
3. Roasted Flour Soup – With a roasted flavour that’s worth drooling for
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If you are a soup lover, do not leave Switzerland, without tasting this heavenly dish. Roasted Flour Soup is made from butter, flour, beef stalk, and grated Gruyere. The specialty of the soup is that it is served brown and roasted and the burnt smell of the dish is its uniqueness. This unique brown soup found nowhere else in the world has not just a tempting taste but also an interesting story behind it. The soup was first prepared in Besal region of the Alps and it is said that the chef forgot about the dish, after putting it on the oven and it got brown. Since then this roasted flavor has become its signature and this unmatched taste has made it one of the most famous items on the list of street food in Switzerland.
4. Polenta and Braised Beef – A tummy-satisfying food
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One of the most delicious and popular street foods in Switzerland; Polenta and Braised Beef is quite popular among the locals. The dish originated in the Ticino region by the Italian speaking locals and gradually became famous throughout the country. Polenta is wholesome cornmeal, cooked as a thick porridge in a copper cauldron over a fire. When accompanied with braised beef, prepared in wine sauce; this makes up for one of the best flavorsome hearty Swiss street delicacies.
5. Tartiflette – Known for incredible cooking style and exceptional taste
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If cheese is your favorite; you cannot afford to miss Tartiflette, when holidaying in Switzerland. Cooked with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions, this is another delicious street delicacy of Switzerland. This is a staple dish at most of the ski resorts, located in the Swiss Alps. Tartiflette is an amalgamation of sliced potatoes. Smoky bacon, Reblocohon cheese, caramelised onions and nutty cream. So, you can actually taste and relish the delicacies of many flavours; all at one bite. This is probably the best street food in Switzerland.
6. Raclette – A staple of canton of Valais
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No discussion on Switzerland street food is complete without mentioning Raclette. This is a unique local dish made from local Raclette cheese, grilled slowly over fire. The cheese melts in layers and is served over potatoes, vegetables and meat, accompanied by pickles and onions. This is one of the most popular local Swiss food, hence small portable Raclette grills, are seen in many native households.
7. Älplermagronen – A warm meal for chilly winters
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Originating from the German speaking region of Switzerland, Älplermagronen, loved by locals and tourists for its exotic taste and presentation. Älplermagronen is a variety of macaroni cheese, cooked with pasta, cream, potatoes and cheese. Often served with stewed apple, bacons and fried onions; Älplermagronen is popularly known as herdsman’s macaroni, as this dish was first created using ingredients that the herdsmen working on the Alpine pastures could gather easily.
8. Vacherin Mont D’Or – An exotic seasonal cheese variety of the Alps
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Switzerland is adorned with exotic varieties of cheese and it is only in this country, where one can find seasonal varieties of cheese. One such is Vacherin Mont D’Or. This is a special type of soft and pungent cheese, made from cow’s milk, found particularly between September and April. This is made in the villages of Jura region. Vacherin Mont D’Or is cooked with white wine and garlic on wood and when served with warm boiled potatoes becomes a soul-filling culinary masterpiece.
9. Nusstorte – A flavourful dessert
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If you have a sweet tooth; this is must try for you. Nusstorte is a nut tart, comprising of short crust pastry, caramelised sugar, cream and chopped walnuts. If you talk about Switzerland street food, there are mainly two varieties of nusstorte found here, namely Bünder nusstorte and the Engadiner nusstorte, named after the Graubünden canton where it originated. The perfect fusion of cream and nuts is drool-worthy and treated as an absolute delight for dessert lovers.
10. Basler Leckerli – A tempting Christmas food
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Last on the list but certainly not the least is Basler Leckerli. Locally, ‘Lecker’ means delicious and this dish of Basler Leckerli is so true to its name. Made from hazelnuts, almonds, fruit, honey, glazed ginger and Kirsch; Basler Leckerli are crispy biscuits, which was invented about 600 years ago. Though Basler Leckerli is found round the year; the Swiss tradition says it is eaten during Christmas celebrations. It is probably the most famous street food in Switzerland for foodies.
Source: https://traveltriangle.com/