Swissness – the quality of being Swiss
Precision
Professionalism
Perfectionism
Preciousness
Prestige
These are the five most important P’s which come to mind when we talk about Swissness. Swiss products have a high level of respect and popularity, but defining terms like Swiss and Made in Switzerland is proving to be quite complicated.
The native Swiss explain what Swissness means to them
“Swissness is a synonym for innovation, exclusive products and excellent services. It refers to a country that is rich in various cultures, cosmopolitan and open to the world. In short, it is a term that is positive and can be used to promote business.” Thomas
“Swissness is a word that is essentially self-explanatory: it means anything and everything to do with Switzerland. It is Swiss tradition – Swiss precision and perfectionism – not just in business, but also in everyday life. It refers to high level of respect and popularity.” Matthias
“It is everything you imagine to be associated with Switzerland. Tradition, food, culture… Rösti, Älplermagronen (Swiss Mac’n Cheese), Bircher Muesli, Zopf (Braided Bread), Aargauer Rüeblitorte (Swiss Carrot Cake), Fondue, and, of course, Swiss Chocolate, Swiss Watches, Swiss Knives, Traditional Swiss Folk Music, Alphorn, Swiss Banks, Alps, St. Bernard Dog, Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg, The Gotthard-Pass in the Alps etc.” Vreni
“For both Swiss and foreign consumers and customers, Swissness brings to mind a healthy, well-ordered, efficient world. It has connotations of precision, meticulousness, reliability and thoroughness.” Magdalena
Bring a little bit of Swissness to your home and try one of our recipes for traditional Swiss snack: Bircher Muesli or great carrot cake (Aargauer Rüeblitorte).
Ingredients for traditional Swiss Carrot Cake – Aargauer Rüeblitorte:
3 eggs, separated
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1 cup raw carrot, grated
¾ cup almonds, ground
½ cup flour
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp Kirsch
1. Combine carrots and nuts in a mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour with the spices and baking powder, then blend
into the carrot mixture.
3. Beat the egg yolks until thick.
4. Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the yolks, along with the lemon
zest and the Kirsch.
5. Beat this mixture until thick, then stir into the carrot mixture.
6. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold them
gently into the carrot mixture.
7. Grease pan (including the baking paper) and dust with flour. Shake pan to
make sure flour coat evenly.
8. Pour batter into the pan and bake in a preheated moderate oven at 350 °F
(180 °C) for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
If you would like to add icing, you will need 1 cup powder sugar, juice of one lemon and milk or consistency. You can add the filling and little carrots of marzipan, too.
The recipe for Bircher Muesli
The original recipe of Bircher Muesli uses rolled oats but feel free to use a mix of oats and other grains, such as rye flakes and wheat, too. The proportion of oats to fruit differs from person to person, but the amount about 25g of oats per person is pretty enough. The oats must be soaked before use, traditionally overnight. But there are recipes that consider just 10–15 minutes are enough.
Muesli wouldn’t be muesli without some kind of dairy. Use yoghurt, the mixture of milk and yoghurt, creme fraiche or milk and double cream or condensed milk, too.
For perfect Bircher Muesli some kind of fruit is a need. There are just apples used in original recipe by Bircher-Benner, but you can use whatever you want – fresh or dried fruit.
Nuts are another must. The original uses chopped hazelnuts, but you can use almonds, too.
Even honey for topping and voilà, the perfect Bircher Muesli is here.
Bon Appétit!
When we talk about swissness…
Except typical traditional food recipes there are some symbols, which can’t be forgotten. One of them is St. Bernard Dog.
St. Bernard is a giant dog. The average weight of the breed is between 65 – 120 kg (140 – 206 lb) and the approximate height is 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in). Eyes are usually brown, but can be blue, too. The coat can be smooth or rough and the tail is long and heavy, hanging low.
The official Swiss St. Bernard Club was founded in 1884 in Basel, Switzerland and St. Bernard was the very first breed entered into the Swiss Stud Book in 1888. Since then, the breed has been a Swiss national dog.
Thank to Jurastic Bernaros Kennel for St. Bernard puppie.
