Savouring Switzerland

travel by denise kok | main photo by max chocolatier | photos by denise kok, luzern tourismus ag, max chocolatier, ricola

hitting the ripe notes

appetiteasia.com | 154

Savouring Switzerland Welcome to the land of plenty, where a grand harvest of flavours await

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I arrived in Zurich

jet-lagged and bleary-eyed. It was just past six in the morning when I touched down and the airport’s shops and cafes were off to an equally sleepy start. Espresso machines heaved their first purr as smartly suited shopkeepers drew up their shutters. With half an hour to spare before my train to Lucerne departed, I headed to the airport’s supermarket, a ritual that I indulge in each time I arrive in a new country. I’ve found that a casual jaunt around the supermarket’s tempting maze of produce is akin to turning a nation’s belly inside out. The habits of a nation can be read between the aisles.

The modest supermarket was brightly lit and neatly curated, and it was there that I had my first encounter with Swiss chocolate. There was nothing romantic about it. I did not black out over a lush body of 90 per cent cacao. I was intimidated, dumbfounded and dwarfed by a great wall of colourful bars whose greedy reach conquered an entire aisle. Clearly, the chocolates were not mere afterthoughts or convenient pick-me-ups parked at the checkout. If supermarket anthropology is anything to go by, this is a country that takes its chocolate seriously. I ended up spending more time in the supermarket ­—­or more specifically — the chocolate aisle, than I had intended to.

In the process of scoring myself some handsome snacks, I missed my train, arriving at the platform just in time to see it pull away.

Therein was my second lesson on Switzerland — punctuality is non-negotiable. All trains, be it the grand, inter-region Wilhelm Tell Express or the gritty subway chugger of Zurich, keep a steady tempo right down to the minute.

For a country that has turned out some of the finest watchmakers in history, it is certainly fitting that the Swiss have polished the art of timekeeping to a high sheen. So began my journey through one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I had arrived to eat my way through the abundant Swiss land, but none of the guidebooks — not even Google — prepared me for the wild beauty and vast richness of this land.

top to bottom | dairy farming is a key pillar of swiss agriculture | handcrafted chocolates from max chocolatier appetiteasia.com | 156

Haute chocolate I wished someone had warned me about the Swiss obsession with chocolate. Quiz a Swiss child on their favourite afternoon treat and chocolate (but strangely, bread too) easily sits high on that list. It is no surprise then that chocolate grazing is a national past time. If the obscene selection of chocolate at the supermarket is not enough to sate

your sweet tooth, you’ll want to head to a boutique chocolatier such as Max Chocolatier.

Grisons-sourced granite walls and solid oak fittings set the tone for this elegant outfit situated along the picturesque boardwalk of Schweizerhofquai. Head up a flight of stairs at the back of the shop and you’ll find Willy Wonka land, where morsel after morsel of exquisite treats are birthed. Similar to the

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world of haute couture, Max Chocolatier releases four distinct collections of chocolate each year. Each collection features creations centred on the flavours of the season. But you don’t have to wait for the seasonal release.

The ready-to-eat range is an amalgamation of the finest Swiss produce. I sampled a milk chocolate square which featured rich cream sourced from the nearby Napf region, delicately flavoured with hay gathered 2,023 metres above sea level from the Seewlialp mountains. On the tongue, the chocolate melts like butter. While the texture is seductive, there’s something incredibly addictive about combining the richness of cream, slight bitterness of cocoa, and sundried crispness of hay.

Vino Discovery |

Find out more about Ticino’s wineries and vineyards at www. ticino.ch. Search for “The Wine Roads”

Little Italy Head down south to Ticino and you’ll find yourself in the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. In many ways, the languid vibe and Mediterranean riot of colours here echo those of Italy. When asked why someone would choose to settle in Ticino over a neighbouring Italian province, a Ticinese man jested, “I enjoy all the joys of Italy here ­­— with the added bonus of Swiss efficiency”.

Here, I was surprised to find rice flourishing in the Maggia delta. Some of the top grains come from the Terreni alla Maggia farm. The 85-hectare farm produces some 480 tonnes of raw rice per year, of which 300 tonnes find their way to the tables as risotto, and the remaining are used to make beer. Unlike appetiteasia.com | 158

the Asian practice of flooding rice fields, dry culture cultivation is used here. As only 20 mm of water is required to grow Loto, a risotto-grade rice unique to this part of Switzerland, the plants are watered twice a week. This approach utilises only one-third of the volume of water required for rice cultivation by submersion. The green approach to farming doesn’t stop there. The rice is planted in April and harvested around October, after which the soil is allowed to undergo a natural process of regeneration by way of crop rotation.

It is only fitting that a beautiful risotto is paired with a wine unique to the region — Merlot Bianco. Produced by soft-pressing red Merlot grapes, this unusual variety is an elegant, straw coloured wine. The white merlot has gained such prominence amongst vintners that it is almost a byword for Ticino.

Discover the white merlot by visiting local wine-producers or by following a network of wine routes.

Schnapp shots When life gives you fruit, you make schnapps.

True schnapps is formed by first fermenting fruits before putting them through a distillation process. The result is a clear but powerful brandy best enjoyed neat. Schnapps to the Swiss is what vodka is to the Russians.

They drink it neat, soak bread in it, and kick

Travel in style | Hopping on the train is the most immaculate way to savour the country’s alpine landscape, majestic mountains and immense lakes. Some of the most spectacular views are to be had along the tracks that hug the glittering Swiss lakes. The Wilhelm Tell Express (www.wilhelmtellexpress.ch), so named after the eponymous Swiss national hero, combines a seamless travel experience that carries you from water to land, cutting right from the heart of Switzerland down to its Mediterranean south. The journey begins with a slow boat ride across the magnificent Lake Lucerne. In a throwback to history, you’ll find yourself onboard the first-class upper deck of a historic paddlewheel steamer. The visual feast is matched by a gastronomic feast onboard the steamer. Thereafter, you’ll transfer to the first-class panorama coach of the Gotthard Railway, which will whisk you away to sunny Ticino.

clockwise from left | rice cultivation fields at terreni alla maggia | a winegrower tends to his vineyard | paddlewheel steamers chart a slow cruise across lake lucerne | brenneri stalder is lead by xaver and is entirely family-run

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start their day by dousing their morning coffee with a swift shot. It is also perfectly acceptable to mix in a shot or two into your afternoon tea.

It’s a versatile tipple that can be had at anytime of the day and on any occasion. At Brennerei Stalder, I was received by Xaver, owner of this five-hectare farm and distillery at Weggis. “My family has owned this land since 1910. It used to be a full-fledged farm. We kept animals. But now, we focus only on producing schnapps,” Xaver explained. This family-run business turns out 2,000 litres of schnapps in a year.

The business of making schnapps involves large quantities of fruit. For instance, 100 kg of cherries will give you 15 litres of schnapps.

Even then, only the finest fruit make the cut: they must neither be bruised nor too ripe.

Xaver showed me around the distillery in all its steam punk glory and I marvelled at how surprisingly small the outfit was. But it is not about quantity, but quality. Small batch productions mean that Xaver gets to keep a close watch on the distillate that comes through. It is this artisanal approach that sets his schnapps apart from those of the bigger players. When the time came to taste the fruit of his labour, I was all ready to down a shot or two. While the schnapps was deceptively sweet on the nose, it turned out to be a crisp knockout laced with a fruity aftertaste. And at 37.5 per cent volume, I could almost feel the hair growing on my chest. That must be the taste of victory. appetiteasia.com | 160

HERBOLOGY | Visit www.ricola.com

to discover the medicinal properties of Ricola’s famous herbs. While you’re there, pick up a tip or two on cultivating your very own herb garden.

On the gourmand trail |

max chocolatier, Schweizerhofquai 2, CH-6004, Luzern, Tel: +4141 4187 090 | brenneri stalder, Langenzihl, 6353 Weggis, Tel: +4141 3902 534 | ricola herb garden (nidwalden), Bergbahnen Beckenried-Emmetten AG, 6375 Beckenried, Tel: +4141 6246 600 | terreni alla maggia, Via Muraccio 105, CH-6612 Ascona, Tel: +4191 7912 452

Garden of Eden In the summer of 1940, Emil Richterich brought together plantain, lady’s mantle, elder, marshmallow, peppermint, thyme, sage, cowslip, horehound, burnet, speedwell, mallow and yarrow to form what is one of the most recognisable herbal cough drops in the world today — Ricola. More than 70 years later, the proportions of the 13 herbs in the Ricola recipe remain a well-guarded secret. The 13 herbs are sourced from some 100 independent farmers from all across Switzerland, keeping the Swiss heritage of herb cultivation well

and alive. If you have time on your side and a spirit for adventure, a visit to each herb farm makes for a great road trip. Alternatively, for a condensed experience, the Ricola show garden rounds up all 13 herbs for your perusal. A visit to the herb garden at Klewen Alp in Nidwalden begins with a slow cable car ride through the clouds. Once you arrive at the gardens, perched 1,600 metres above sea level, you’ll also find panoramic views of Lake Lucerne and the grand mountain ridges beyond.

clockwise from left | alcoholic fumes are cooled, condensed and collected as distillate | ricola sources naturally grown herbs from swiss mountain areas | the cable car ride to klewen alp boasts stunning views of lake lucerne | a herb expert gives an overview of the regions where ricola's herbs are sourced from