Swiss Culinary Marvels: From Silserli to Rivella Rot

I’m planning what to eat in Switzerland and thinking about all the things I miss from there. Let’s see what they are:

One of my favorite Swiss treats is Silserli, a type of bun similar to a pretzel in terms of dough, taste, and texture. It is often sold as plain buttered sandwiches or with ham and Swiss cheese. I used to enjoy them weekly during school lunch breaks, creating happy memories.

Next, I enjoyed a variety of Swiss cheeses such as Gruyere, Appenzeller, Tilsiter, and Tete de Moine, each with unique flavors different from Dutch cheeses. I have fond memories of eating Swiss cheeses when I stayed with relatives in Holderbank (Solothurn). My favorite Swiss bread to pair with these cheeses is Zopf, or Swiss brioche. Swiss Zopf perfectly complements Swiss cheeses and sausages. I wish I could find Zopf here in Japan, but even the best bakeries around my area haven’t sold it. I will keep my eyes peeled for a local bakery that sells something close to Zopf.

No Swiss culinary adventure is complete without Swiss chocolate. There’s Lindt, Ovo Schoggi made from chocolate powder by Ovomaltine, and Cailler Rayon with an airy bubble texture, sweetened with honey and pieces of caramel. Despite my love for Swiss chocolate, Toblerone is not my favorite because it’s too hard to bite on and the caramel pieces stick too much to my teeth. Sorry Toblerone, but you are just my least favorite Swiss chocolate.

Moving on, I love Landjäger, a type of Swiss salami that was my perfect picnic food during school hiking trips in Switzerland. It has a delightful smoky and savory flavor. During my last visit to Basel, I went straight to Migros and enjoyed a Landjäger on the Mittleri Bruck after arriving at Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport. Hiromi managed to capture a charming picture of me while I was eating Landjäger.

I used to enjoy Parfait, a pork liver spread that I ate with Zopf. Parfait has an addictive flavor, and even though I’m not keen on eating liver, its pork liver spread recipe has turned me into a pork liver spread lover. Parfait also has variations with chicken liver spread and fish spread, but the pork liver spread is my favorite.

Although I don’t eat potato chips very often, when I visit Switzerland I can never refrain from eating paprika flavored potato chips from the brand Zweifel. They have a sweetish flavor and hold a fond childhood memory where I used to eat Zweifel Paprika chips with grilled chicken.

In terms of Swiss beverages, I enjoy drinking Rivella Rot, a unique Swiss carbonated drink. The recipe is a bit of a mystery, but I found a way to make a similar-tasting version using half a glass of apple juice and half a glass of Sprite or 7 Up. It comes quite close to Rivella Rot.

You may have wondered why I never mentioned Swiss cheese fondue. I only have it during cold winter days and won’t eat it when we visit Switzerland in September because it’s not the season for it.

Anyway, I’ll enjoy all this food when I can and take pictures of Swiss products as soon as I’m back in my beloved home country. I might even throw in a weekly video vlog of our culinary food adventures in Switzerland. Could be fun.

For now, try guessing the Swiss dishes in the pictures below, just for fun. Enjoy guessing!