Cheese, Chocolate, & Ridiculously Expensive Tacos: Food in Switzerland

A good portion of our diet in Switzerland included cheese and chocolate. We didn't try any gourmet chocolate, but even the bars from the grocery store were very good.

We ate one of my favorite meals on the train  from Basel to Interlaken at the start of our true vacation. At the grocery store we bought 2 special types of cheese plus delicious butter bread. The Tête de Moine cheese is served in delicate rosettes, while the Gruyere was served as simple rolls. The Gruyere was pretty stinky, but tasted good; our favorite, though, was the Tete de Moine--delicious!

We grabbed most of our meals at the grocery store not because we were always in a hurry, but because everything in Switzerland is ridiculously expensive and overpriced. A small combo meal at McDonald's was 15 CHF ($16)! And these are typical prices at a regular sit-down restaurant:

not joking, you could not get a sit-down mean for less than $25/plate

However, we did splurge on one traditional meal of cheese fondue and rösti (potato hash with onions, bacon, and cheese). The cheese fondue was very interesting--you dip bread in a mix of Gruyere and Emmental (aka, Swiss) cheese plus spices (nutmeg, cloves) and kirsch (cherry brandy). Both dishes were very hearty, and I could imagine peasants cooking them up in the cold winter months.

i love the edelweiss plate and the straw chicken :)

We ate our traditional Swiss meal at a really fun restaurant in Interlaken, a bit off the beaten path and thus not touristy at all. Our waitress was also the owner and had a really charming Swiss accent when she spoke English.

In addition to cheese, bread, and chocolate, J also sampled local beers in each town we visited. By far, his favorite was the Rugenbräu Weissbier found in the Interlaken region. We especially enjoyed sharing a small Maß (aka, beer stein)while soaking in the view of the Eiger.

Look for more posts about our trip soon!