There are few things that define a culture as much as the traditions and customs surrounding its food. While there is some sort of "international food" by now, the traditional meals are obviously different in each country or region of this beautiful world. Think of Asian food and chopsticks and eating while sitting on the floor. Or a big fat hamburger eaten at a bar while watching a basketball game at a local brewery somewhere in the USA. A Peruvian enjoying his Ceviche at the beach with loud latin music in the background. Very different food, right?! But also very different settings for enjoying a meal!
Of course, those are ideas and images that aren't always real and plenty of people prove that. However, in most places of the world there are certainly customs and even unwritten rules when it comes to food and how we should prepare and eat it.
It's not only about what we eat but also about how and even when we eat that define different cultures. This is certainly true for us Swiss. We eat like we are: in a well ordered fashion and - you might have guessed it - very much after the clock!
In this mini series I'll write about exactly these five daily meals people usually eat in Switzerland:
Zmorge - breakfast
Znüni - mid-morning snack
Zmittag - lunch
Zvieri - mid-afternoon snack
Znacht - dinner
Among others, I'll try to respond to the following questions:
Of course, those are ideas and images that aren't always real and plenty of people prove that. However, in most places of the world there are certainly customs and even unwritten rules when it comes to food and how we should prepare and eat it.
It's not only about what we eat but also about how and even when we eat that define different cultures. This is certainly true for us Swiss. We eat like we are: in a well ordered fashion and - you might have guessed it - very much after the clock!
Typical Swiss Childhood Meals
Growing up, it was normal to eat a rich breakfast and then a (more or less) healthy snack just a few hours later at 9am. It was normal to always eat lunch at exactly noon and have another snack (or something sweet if we were in for a treat) at 4pm. Dinner was a bit more flexible time-wise but food-wise it was almost always bread, cold cuts, butter and cheese and sometimes warmed-up leftovers.Typical Meals in Switzerland
For most people living in Switzerland, these five daily meals are still part of their daily routine. We are used to our Znüni break even at work and at home and many still believe it's healthier and better for your sleep habits to eat a cold dinner.In this mini series I'll write about exactly these five daily meals people usually eat in Switzerland:
Zmorge - breakfast
Znüni - mid-morning snack
Zmittag - lunch
Zvieri - mid-afternoon snack
Znacht - dinner
Among others, I'll try to respond to the following questions:
Where do the names of the meals come from?
What do we typically eat during those meals?
When do we eat?
What is the proper conduct at the table?
I hope to answer these and more questions about eating customs in Switzerland for you and provide insight into typical Swiss foods and traditions!
Stay tuned!
© 2016 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Stay tuned!
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| empty plate - Thomas Förstermann / pixelio.de |
© 2016 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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