A Time For Swiss

Sounds like “A Time for Us,” the song recorded by Andy Williams and was the love theme in the movie, “Romeo and Juliet.” Actually, it is about your favorite food columnist’s continuing love affair with Swiss Cuisine and it has been going strong for the last three years.

It was an annual trek to join the Marco Polo Plaza Culinary Journeys to Switzerland, a Swiss Food Festival aptly called “Swissness from A-Z.” It was held last July 31 and it is during this period that people celebrate the independence day of Switzerland from the rule of the House of Hapsburg (August 1,with the Grütli Pact of 1291). Remember the legend of William Tell, the symbol of Swiss Independence!

Double entry pa gyud many members of the press, since invited na to the launching of the food festival (lunch), pakapin pa dinner to the Swiss Independence celebration. Such sweet memories that this Swiss food love affair brings. Other “affairs,” mostly the prohibited ones, can easily be classified into three types: illegal, immoral or fattening.

To appreciate the Cuisine of Switzerland, you have to understand the land, the people and its history. And many of my beloved readers are well versed with such things but there are some people out there who are new acquaintances and a review of the past would be hopefully appreciated.

Switzerland is located in Western Europe, a landlocked country with five counties at its borders: Germany (north), Italy (south), Austria and Liechtenstein (east) and France (west). In the past, before the Euro was born, Swiss citizens carry four types of cash in their wallets when bargain hunting at these different borders. Its population is small, at 7.9 million (compared to Metro Manila, about 20 million) but, excuse me, one of the richest countries in the world. The International Monetary Fund published a list of countries in terms of Gross Domestic Product - Qatar is No. 1 at US$85,868, Switzerland is number 7 at $42,783 and Philippines intawon is listed at number 123 with $3,546.

Switzerland has humble beginnings - part of the Roman Empire here, part of the Almemannia and Burgundy there, until it reunited under the Holy Roman Empire. It was then a country of farmers but because of numerous mountains, so they planted kamote… no, potatoes! They also raised cattle for milk, and milk products like cheese and chocolate became popular. Others enhanced their fighting skills, and became excellent mercenaries. By 1505, the Vatican recruited them as bodyguards (Swiss Guards) of Pope Julius ll.

Swiss cuisine is unique since it has assimilated the cuisine of Italy, France and Germany and the locals adopted, modified and refined it. Many of my beloved readers are well acquainted with it because they have joined the Annual Swiss Food Festival which began three years ago.

A Swiss meal starts with bread (Bangeli, Zuphe or Gipfelteig) dipped in the caquelon or traditional style Swiss fondue with melted cheese (Emmentaler and Gruyère) or potatoes with Raclette melted with an Electric Table-Top Grill. I started lunch with Appenzeller Cheese (Silver label, aged 3-4 months) and some Buendnerfleisch (Alpine style air-dried beef) before I went for fondue.

Soup was Onion soup blended with cream and garnished with croutons simply because last year I had the Bündner Gersten Suppe (barley soup). I decided to skip the sausages and went for the Obwald-Style Cheese Cake (Quiche) and my palate immediately recognized that the 2008 version was better.

Main dishes were Älplermagronen (Roesti Alper Macaroni), Ox Tongue with Port Wine Sauce, Salm Nach Basler Art (Salmon Basel Style) and Spatzli (Egg Noodle). My choices for dessert this year were the Schokolade Kuchen (Chocolate Cake) and the Engadiner Nusstorte (Engadine Nut-Cake).

My affair with Swiss cuisine will continue as long as my very good friend, Marco Polo Plaza GM Hans Hauri, is at the helm of the only 5-star hotel in Cebu City.