There is no “traditional” Christmas meal in Switzerland, as there is, for example, in the USA or Great Britain. But the Swiss love to have a good time at Christmas.
In the Middle Ages, people fasted during Advent, and people were only allowed to fill their stomachs with meat, dairy, and eggs at Christmas. Expensive meat and rich ingredients are still on the Christmas menu today, often inspired by traditions from abroad.
Turkey is very popular
Like so many things in Switzerland, Christmas preferences vary by region. The French-speaking Swiss love poultry, especially turkey, at Christmas. According to Swissinfo by Isabelle Raboud, curator of the Nutrition Museum in Vevey, the “Thanksgiving” bird in French-speaking Switzerland is a symbol of wealth, abundance and community: because the whole family can eat from the big bird.
Demand for the North American spring pet is also on the rise in German-speaking Switzerland. According to the SDA news agency, Poultry Gourmet AG from Mörschwil, which specializes in quality poultry, sells around 2,000 pieces throughout Switzerland in November and December.
What the Swiss don’t eat: the German Christmas goose. The Christmas goose is still unpopular, except for Swiss people of German descent.
No traditional Christmas food, just regional variations
There is also poultry on the New Year’s table in Ticino. Traditional is the capon, a castrated and fed rooster served with mustard sauce. The starter is ravioli in bouillon. For dessert, there is panettone, a light, airy cake specialty in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland with candied fruit.
True Christmas traditions at the dinner table exist in only a few German-speaking regions of Switzerland. In Aargau, Milken pastries are part of the feast, and in the Bern region the Berner Platter with various meats, baked beans, sauerkraut and potatoes.
Today, the desire for a stress-free date is as great as it gets. So it’s no surprise that simply prepared but festive dishes like fondue, fondue chinoise, or raclette have become favorites.
Fondue Chinoise is not Chinese
Or at least not quite: In the classic “casserole” or Dutch oven, meat, vegetables, and ravioli are dipped in a hot broth. The court has been around since the third century AD.
Fondue Chinoise only really came into vogue in the 1970s. At least that’s what Philipp Sax, Head of Education at the Swiss Meat Association (SFF), predicts in an interview with SRF. According to Sax, the “casserole” was gradually integrated into Swiss food culture and adapted to the Swiss palate with thin sauces.
The origin of the name is a mystery
Why is it called “Fondue Chinoise” if nothing melts? Sax speculates that it may have come from similar plates and cutlery found in cheese fondue. Or it is based on fondue bourguignonne, in which pieces of meat are dipped in simmering oil and fat that must first be melted.
“Cookies” already existed in the Middle Ages
Cookies were also baked in pre-Christian times: Ritual baking was part of the festive season. In the Middle Ages, monasteries would cook it to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Since then, scents of cinnamon, anise, ginger, and chocolate have emanated from every Swiss bakery. So, if you had to highlight one tradition at the Swiss Christmas table, it would probably be the popular “Guetzli”. (chj)