5 Must Try Local Vegetarian Dishes in Switzerland

Sampling local food is an important aspect of any travel journey especially when it comes to exploring local cultures. Food is that essential link that helps us understand the place we are in better and bond with the locals. However traveling as an Indian vegetarian can be quite challenging in many countries. But on my recent trip to Switzerland I got a chance to sample numerous local dishes that were vegetarian. As one of our guides explained to us, Switzerland was traditionally a country of farmers and hence they ate what they grew or made. Thus potatoes, milk and cheese were and still are an important part of their cuisine. Also geographical proximity to Germany, France and Italy have also lent their character and flavor to Swiss food. The resulting cuisine is a vegetarians delight with a beautiful combination of local produce, flavors and traditions.

And based on my own experiences, please find below 5 local Swiss dishes that should definitely be on the must try list for every vegetarian visiting this country –

Taste of my visit to Europe – at Romantik Restaurant Julen, Zermatt

Switzerland as a country reminded me a lot of India with its varied multicultural and regional influences. Depending on which part of Switzerland you find yourself in, you can actually experience a bit of French, German and Italian in everything – from culture, to language, to cuisine, to landscapes. However it still has many things, originally Swiss too. During my own visit to Zermatt, I learnt that Switzerland was historically a country of farmers, hence traditional Swiss dishes tend to have potatoes and cheese as its core ingredients. But with Zermatt’s proximity to Italy (it’s just across the Alps here) there is a distinct Italian influence in the local cuisine.

Romantik Restaurant Julen, Zermatt