Znacht

In this mini series I'll write about the five daily meals people eat in Switzerland: Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri and Znacht. What do we typically eat? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? Today, I'll tell you about dinner which is called Znacht.

Znacht is a Swiss German word and is an abbreviation of the German "zu Nacht" which basically means "at night". This doesn't mean that we eat dinner during the night but rather at the beginning of the night.

In fact, a typical Swiss family eats dinner between 6 and 7pm. Only during winter, night actually comes in before dinner starts. During the long days of summer, Znacht is often eaten on the balcony or on the patio to enjoy the warmth and light of Swiss summer evenings.

What to eat at a Swiss Znacht

Unlike Zmittag (lunch) which is usually a warm meal, dinner traditionally consists of cold foods. A typical Swiss Znacht is sometimes also called "Café complet" which includes the following:

Swiss bread (usually a whole loaf that is cut at the table)
butter
a variety of cheeses
a variety of cold cuts
different jams
honey
a hot drink (coffee or tea)

Of course you can add any ingredient you like to your Znacht. Many people also warm up leftovers from lunch, fry an egg or prepare hot soup - especially on cold winter days.

Znacht - E. Kopp / pixelio.de

Other articles in this mini series:
Zmorge - breakfast
Znüni - mid-morning snack
Zmittag - lunch
Zvieri - mid-afternoon snack
Znacht - dinner

© 2016 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Znacht - A Swiss Dinner