The country's best-known specialty, fondue, is made by melting a selection of Swiss hard cheeses, such as Gruyère, Emmental and Vacherin, in white wine spiked with garlic and then adding spices and kirsch. The bubbling pot sits in the middle of the table on a little brazier, and you help yourself by dipping forkfuls of bread into the unctuous mixture. Be careful not to drop the bread in the pot - traditionally the culprit has to buy the next bottle of wine. Fondues also are made by cooking cubed beef in either hot oil (fondue bourguignonne) or beef stock (fondue chinoise); these are served with a variety of tasty dips. The traditionally French raclette is undergoing a revival and is popular throughout Switzerland, particularly with large groups. A whole block of cheese is cut into slices and melted under a grill and then draped over boiled potatoes to be eaten with gherkins, smoked ham and sausage. It's delicious! Main Dishes
Bündnerfleisch - raw, dried smoked beef - is well worth sampling, as are the many kinds of wurst, sausages eaten raw, grilled or boiled. The traditional accompaniment is rösti, a crisp potato cake studded with onions and bacon. Hungry diners might enjoy the Berner Platte, a groaning plate of sausage, beef and ham served with potatoes and sauerkraut. The Swiss also are fond of liver, pork and veal. Traditional fish recipes in this landlocked country feature lake trout, carp and perch. A Little Something Sweet
Chocolate and cream feature heavily in Swiss desserts; in addition to the ubiquitous Nestlé and Cailler, Lindt, Sprüngli, Teuscher and Tobler are varieties worth sampling. There are some splendid local cakes; try leckerli (spiced bread with honey), meringues, and delicious kirsch-flavored cakes and fruit breads. Start the day with a breakfast bowl of muesli, a tasty mixture of grains, fruit and nuts.
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