I am faced with the same question every summer, ‘I wish I could find some decent tomatoes here, where do you buy yours?’ To which I answer…and this predictably creates a confused, often contorted facial reaction, ‘The best tomatoes in Switzerland are between March and May!’

Ok, I will admit summer time is the best time for tomatoes – but only if you’re growing your own and live in an area blessed with a lot of summer sunshine. I will also admit the tomatoes I am referring to are not Swiss at all, but in fact they are Italian – and mostly from Sicily or Sardegna where the people know a thing or two about growing (and eating) tasty tomatoes.

Tomatoes need plenty of sunshine to develop their full flavor potential …and I’m not talking about the sugars which usually only account for about 3% of the total weight. No, what makes tomatoes so appealing to many are their high levels of glutamic acid – a savory acid more common to meat than plants. It is precisely this acid which creates the necessary balance of sugars and aromatic compounds. Without glutamic acid tomatoes taste…well, really bland and almost starchy.

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Buying fresh fish in Switzerland is not as easy as one may expect. First of all, much of the fresh fish available has been filleted and the skin has been removed, erasing most of identifiable characteristics. So there goes all of those handy tips on buying fresh fish like checking the eyes, gills and skin.

So what is that piece of fish sitting in the ice? Is it a fresh water fish or salt water fish? Is it white and delicate or blue and oily? Is it wild or farm raised? Is it endangered…or perhaps mass-produced and frozen?

Oh the questions…and I haven’t even broached the subject of fish names!

Some of the available fish in Switzerland share the same English name…so that’s easy. Others, though, use the French name, Italian name or – and this is lots of fun – some sort of hard-to-pronounce-tongue-twisting Swiss-German name which doesn’t appear to have any word root whatsoever!

Sure, it may be easy to point-and-order at any fish counter…or maybe even ask the fish monger a question or two about the fish – something I would encourage. Perhaps you may even be tempted to discreetly pull out your iPhone and quickly access Google Translate…hmm!

Or, you could simply use our handy fish translation table for saltwater, fresh water and shellfish varieties in four languages.

Download a Free PDF Version

Finally…and only because this is fun. Try your hand at this dandy little German tongue-twister…

Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische
Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz

Enjoy your fish...

It’s easy to chase away drab winter days by unpeeling a ripe blood orange…it can also be a shocking experience – even if you know what to expect!

February in Switzerland tends to linger…

The cold and gray winter days sometimes seem endless as time just hangs in the air. It can’t be long until spring and longer days burst onto the scene with a fresh new look – or so the calendar says! But no, not just yet…it’s still February!

But wait…there is a way to escape the drab days of late winter – eat a blood orange!

I’ll never forget my first encounter with a blood orange. It seemed unnatural as I gazed at the intense deep purple flesh, and I will admit…I was not too excited about putting any of this into my mouth. It just seemed wrong.

But after a few sheepish moments, I decided to give it a go and preserve my reputation (self-created) as an adventurous eater.

I was rewarded.

The flavors erupted instantaneously. There were hints of raspberry and pine…and plenty of natural sweetness. The juices…well, they seemed extreme, leaving me confused and wondering if I was drinking or eating. Then…the acids arrived and all of my hibernating senses woke up at once. It was like feeling the sun as it disintegrates a thick layer of fog…and I smiled.   More...

Potatoes are plentiful, inexpensive, versatile in the kitchen, highly nutritious and simple to prepare – but what variety should you select?

I’m turning into a potato freak – and with good reason too!

Potatoes are plentiful, inexpensive, versatile in the kitchen, highly nutritious and simple to prepare. The only real question with potatoes is deciding on the appropriate type for your recipe…and in Switzerland, that means considering some twenty different varieties.

Most people simply take the potato for granted. It has become a common serf amid more noble vegetables…and very few seem willing to elevate it.

But not me!

Let me bring you into my world of potatoes and introduce you to one of my steadfast culinary friends. More...

There are plenty of bird choices during the fall months in Switzerland. Look for fresh turkeys, Bresse chickens, pheasants, quail, wild duck, geese and much more!

I don’t eat much meat. But, I will make an exception when it comes to fall in Switzerland and gobble down quite a lot of birds.

There are considerable opportunities to find very fresh turkeys, chickens, pheasants, quail, wild duck, and much more. There are also some important practical issues to consider before purchasing a bird, as many newcomers to Switzerland quickly discover.

Selecting a special bird to prepare during the holiday season is not necessarily a choice made based on price or flavor, but rather one of size. Most Swiss ovens are far too small to cook a large bird – especially for the giant turkeys meant to feed copious amounts of friends and relatives during the holidays. Fortunately, there are some available options awaiting those who can think in smaller terms.

One such example is the humble chicken, which is often overshadowed by the more prominent holiday turkey. But a really good chicken can be a revelation. More...

There are many who give into the temptation of buying strawberries really early in the season…say February or March. Perhaps their enthusiasm is spawned by a desire to shake off a long winter…something food marketers are only too happy to nurture. And by the time the real season fully blossoms, the urge to eat strawberries is muted and replaced by other summer fruits - which by the way, have not quite reached their peak either.

Too bad!

Yes, the strawberry season is coming to a close with only 1-2 weeks remaining. But the fresh local strawberries currently available throughout Switzerland are a reward to those who have patiently waited for the taste of a real strawberry. They are highly aromatic, full-flavored, richly colored and filled with healthy vitamins and antioxidants.

They just don’t last long.

A really fresh strawberry will maintain flavor, aroma and nutritional value for about 2 days after harvest. Obviously, this limits your available sourcing options to local markets or harvesting your own.  More...