Baked, Roasted, or Fried: What Would Heidi Do?

Baked, Roasted, or Fried: What Would Heidi Do?: August 1 is Swiss National Day; a national holiday in Switzerland. It celebrates the formation of the Swiss Confederation in 1291 with t...

What Would Heidi Do?

August 1 is Swiss National Day; a national holiday in Switzerland. It celebrates the formation of the Swiss Confederation in 1291 with the Pacte du Grütli, when the cantons of Schwyz, Uri, and Uterwald swore an oath of allegiance.

We recently visited Switzerland; specifically, Geneva, Zermatt, and Ascona. It gave us a nice view of the cultural diversity that is modern Switzerland. Geneva is French; Zermatt is German; Ascona is Italian. They all speak different languages, but they all consider themselves Swiss.

The Swiss have a reputation for being efficient and fastidious....and boring. While I certainly wouldn't find fault with the first two monikers—their trains run like their famous watches, and one can almost literally eat off their streets—I wouldn't call the Swiss boring, at least not their "cuisine." Switzerland reminds me of America in that, while there is nothing that one could label "Swiss cuisine," with maybe the exception of fondue, it has made the most of cuisines from other parts of the world. 

In Geneva, we had an amazing lunch in a bistro that could have been on the Boulevard St. Germain on Paris's left bank. Laura had gravelax de saumon des Alpes suisses, mesclun, et pommes frites (Swiss alpine salmon, fresh salad, and French fries). I had the filets de perche—Meunière—pommes frites (perch filets in lemon butter sauce and French fries). 

The next stop was Zermatt, the land of Heidi and the Matterhorn. It was here that we had some of the best Wienerschnitzel we've ever had. It was also where I had cheese fondue for the first time. Fondue gets a bit of a bad rap in the U.S. It's a 1970s dish that brings back bad vibes of Lambrusco, bearskin rugs, mustaches, and polyester. But when done right, it's damn good, especially in the crisp mountain air overlooking the Matterhorn. 

Finally, we arrived in Ascona. It's like an Alfa-Romeo with a BMW engine—Italian elegance meets German efficiency. We dined on beef carpaccio and fresh ravioli and more fresh perch. We had an excellent wine from Sicilia: Tenuta delle Nere, Etna Bianco 2017.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Swiss wine. Rarely seen in the United States, it is very good. It is mostly white and rose, but there are some excellent reds. My favorite wine was Dôle, in the Valais region of Switzerland. It is both a white and a red. Red Dôle is a blend of mostly Pinot Noir and Gamay, with an intense garnet red color. It has a crisp, fruity nose with fresh hints of black cherry and blackberry. Ours was la Liaudisaz, 2017. If you can find it, it is delicious and a bargain. 

Well, that's it. Switzerland in one, two, and three. A little bit French, a little bit German, and a little bit Italian. But 100% delicious. 

Happy Swiss National Day!