Food Trends

Zurich's signature dish: thin strips of tender veal gently simmered with mushrooms, shallots and white wine in a velvety cream sauce, sometimes enriched with veal kidney. Almost always plated alongside crisp golden rösti that soaks up every drop.

Coarsely grated potatoes pressed into a skillet and fried until the edges turn lacy, crisp and deep gold while the inside stays soft and buttery. Served as a hearty side or loaded with cheese, bacon, fried egg or onions as a main.

A communal pot of Gruyère and Vacherin melted with white wine, garlic and a splash of kirsch, kept bubbling over a flame. Diners spear cubes of crusty bread on long forks and swirl them through the warm, garlicky, stringy cheese.

A half-wheel of Alpine cheese heated until the cut face bubbles, then scraped molten over boiled potatoes, cornichons and pickled onions. Rich, nutty and impossibly stretchy, it's a cosy winter ritual best shared at long communal tables.

Confiserie Sprüngli's iconic mini-macarons: airy, feather-light meringue shells barely bigger than a coin, sandwiched with silky buttercream. Sold by the bagful in pastel hues and rotating flavours like raspberry, champagne, pistachio and caramel fleur de sel.

The Alpine herdsman's mac and cheese: macaroni and potatoes tossed with melted cheese and cream, crowned with crispy fried onions and served with a side of sweet apple sauce. Stick-to-your-ribs mountain comfort food in a single dish.

Invented by Zurich physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner in 1895: rolled oats soaked overnight in milk and lemon juice, folded with grated apple, fresh fruit and nuts. Creamy, tangy and refreshing, it's a beloved breakfast and light Swiss classic.

A plump, pale veal sausage grilled until juicy and lightly charred, traditionally eaten standing at a street grill with a crusty bürli roll and a stripe of sharp mustard. A go-to lunch from market stalls to festival sausage stands.

Switzerland's national sausage: a smoky, mildly seasoned beef-and-pork link with snappy skin. Grilled over open fire with the ends slit so they curl into 'wings', it's the quintessential picnic, lakeside and campfire snack across Zurich.

A thin, crisp Zurich honey biscuit stamped with intricate ornamental motifs and baked until amber. Lightly spiced and crackly-sweet, these centuries-old wafers are a treasured holiday treat and edible souvenir found in the city's old-town confiseries.