A Taste of Switzerland

Rating:
Summary: What do the Swiss eat, anyway?
Review: We were discussing Switzerland recently, and someone asked, 'What do the Swiss eat, anyway?' Apart from the obvious -- cheese and chocolate -- I had no idea. But then I found this attractive book, and now my questions are answered.

Sue Style here tackles the difficult task of giving us a culinary portrait of a nation which, as she points out in her introduction, is 'at least four countries rolled into one,' not counting influences from neighboring countries and cultures. The key, she says, is in realizing that Swiss food, wine, and tastes aren't monolithic, but rather vary (sometimes widely) from canton to canton.

Aided by John Miller's skilled photography of landscapes (sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to take an unattractive photo of Switzerland), people, and ... not least of all ... food, Style not only gives us a wide variety of recipes, but also shows how those foods fit into the broader Swiss lifestyle. Bread, cheese, chocolate, and sausage ... each gets its own chapter, as do Swiss winemaking (who knew? -- 'Many Swiss wines never make it beyond the confines of the canton, let alone the country' -- yet some are apparently quite nice) and the art of the Swiss innkeeper.

In all, whether you have no experience of Swiss food at all, or are a former visitor or resident looking to recreate happy memories, Sue Style's book seems like an excellent way to explore the surprisingly varied world of Swiss tastes.