2010 Traditional Events in Switzerland from a Foodie Perspective

January 6. On Epiphany, known as Dreikönigstag in German, there’s sweet bread in bakery shops and supermarkets that comes with a little plastic baby Jesus figure inside and a gold paper crown. Whoever’s piece of bread contains the figure gets to put on the crown and boss the rest of the family around for the day.

January 27. In the run-up to Fasnacht (carnival) in Basel, a tradition called Vogel Gryff puts the spotlight on the Right Bank part of the city called Kleinbasel. Things kick off around 11 a.m., when a raft on the Rhine brings a man disguised as a ‘wild man’ to the bridge known as the Mittlere Brücke. Here, he meets up with two men disguised as a lion and a griffin. At noon, the three dance on the bridge to the sound of drums, then go off with fellow guild members for a festive meal together. After lunch, they continue their dance in the streets of Kleinbasel. What about lunch for on-lookers? A traditional specialty called Suuri Läberli hits the spot - “sour liver”, or pork liver with onions and red wine vinegar, served with rösti. If you can’t find a local eatery serving this, then go to Café Spitz in the Hotel Merian (www.hotel-merian.ch); they may or may not be serving Suuri Läberli, but they have things like Schnitzel and Geschnetzeltes and going there is a tradition - they push all the tables together and serve hot lunches non-stop from 11:30 a.m. through the afternoon. More about Vogel Gryff at www.basel.ch and www.vogel-gryff.ch.

February-March, Carnival, known as Fasnacht in the Swiss-German speaking part of the country, kicks off in mid-February. The best-known Fasnacht is in Basel (February 22-24, 2010), where sampling the famous flour soup (Mehlsuppe) and onion or cheese ramekins - Ziebele-und Käswaje respectively in Swiss-German - sold at street stalls is part of the fun. www.basel.ch.

But events in Lucerne (February 11-16), www.luzern.com; Fribourg (Carnaval des Bolzes, February 12-16), www.carnavaldesbolzes.ch; Bern (February 18-20), www.berninfo.com; and Zurich (February 19-21), www.zurichcarneval.ch, are also renowned, as are various Valais festivities such as those in Leukerbad /Loèche-les-Bains (February 11-16), www.leukerbad.ch. Not least, there is carnevale in Ticino, where the risottata - cooking big batches of risotto in the street - is a hallmark. Key dates include the Rabadan in Bellinzona, which takes place from February 11 through 16, www.rabadan.ch.

As early as January, large pancake-shaped dough fritters sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar - Fasnachtschüechli, merveilles de carnaval, frittelle di carnevale - are available in Swiss supermarkets.

April 4-5, Easter. Roast kid (young goat) is traditionally served, and a rice tart that’s quite complicated to make so the Swiss usually buy it from a bakery shop - it’s instantly recognizable since a stenciled rabbit of powdered sugar adorns the top. Chocolate abounds at this season!

April 19. Winter-chasing events, which start well before Zurich’s Sechseläuten on April 19 in 2010 www.sechselaeuten.ch, are among the most spectacular of Swiss events. Sechseläuten actually combines blowing up the effigy of a snowman with a costumed horse-back parade representing what were the city’s medieval guilds and are now exclusive men’s clubs. Watch out for Tirggel, honey cookies that are molded with attractive motifs, also very popular in the Zurich area at Christmastime.

From May, the cows go up the mountain to graze at high-altitude until September or October. The procession is known as Alpaufzug, inalpe or poya in French. In Valais, just one option to observe the process is Morgins where there are daytime cow fights to determine who will be queen of the cows during the summer, Alphorn entertainment, roesti, raclette, pie, and dancing from 7 p.m…. www.tovassiere.ch.

Ascents and  descents from the mountain have been immortalized in everything from Swiss naïve art to the brass cut-outs on Appenzell leather belts and dog collars.

In August, there are mid-summer fests like the Fête de la Mi-Eté in St.-Cergue (VD) which features a cow beauty pageant (the public get to vote on their favorite) and a cow plop competition among other highlights, www.mi-ete.populus.ch.

Cervelas dubbed the ‘’King of Swiss sausages”, potato salad, local wines and beers - also August 1 or Swiss National Day fare par excellence - are a big part of fetes like these, which are a great source of local foods to eat on the spot or buy and take home.

September-October. Often with traditional dress worn, flower headdresses for the cows, and feting, the cows coming down from the mountain (Alpabzug or désalpe) is celebrated. Some of the most picturesque occasions are in Sörenberg, Lucerne, Elm in Glarus and in the Prätiggau in Graubünden.

The cheese made from the milk during this summer grazing is called Alpkäse or fromage d’alpage. During Kaeseteilet or ”division of the cheeses” days, where the big wheels are divied up among participating farmers, visitors are welcome, and can taste the cheese. The Kaeseteilet usually coincides with ”cows coming down from the mountain” festivities. Many believe the best one is in Bern’s Justistal, www.schweizeralpkaese.ch.

Autumn. Hunting and gathering season. Wild mushroom collectors fill Swiss forests at this time of year, and restaurants proudly announce la chasse, Wild, and cacciagione season when a typical hunt meal may consist of deer or other game, spaetzle, gravy, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, wild mushrooms, a halved apple or pear filled with a red berry relish, the whole trimmed with grapes and chestnuts.

November to March is when Swiss butcher shops sell black pudding or blood sausage (Blutwurst, boudin noir), made with pig’s blood. In many parts of the country,  Leberwurst or saucisse grise  (basically a pork offal sausage with about 15% liver) is also produced at this time of year. Some people prefer having just one or the other for a meal, but many enjoy both at the same meal. Cook the sausages in very hot water and serve hot, in slices, with either mashed potatoes or apple sauce. At this season, black pudding may also be served in certain restaurants not least niche establishments that feature a Metzgete or cochonnaille - a large meal consisting of different types of pork dishes.  St. Martin’s Day feasts in November in the Swiss canton of Jura are based in the Metzgete or cochonnaille tradition.

December 6. St. Nicholas Day. Special sweet bread is sold in bakery shops and supermarkets to honor this day. The loaf is shaped like a man, who has raisins for eyes and holds a bunch of twiglets. There are various fetes and other events all over Switzerland on this day, the most spectacular of which is Klausjagen in Küssnacht am Rigi (Schwyz), www.klausjagen.ch.

December 10 and 12, Escalade. Geneva’s Old Town comes alive during this celebration of an important date - the night of December 11-12 1602, when Geneva repelled the Duke of Savoy’s attempt at invasion once and for all and was thus able to maintain its independence. Marking the anniversary are historical re-enactments, a parade, a bonfire - and traditional foods; let’s not forget that the iconic image of the event has become a pot of vegetable soup commemorating the one that a brave lady is supposed to have thrown out her window thus killing a Savoy soldier. That’s why vegetable soup is served at street stalls during the festivities, and versions of the pot in chocolate, filled with marzipan vegetables, are sold in the shops. Other good local things to eat and drink at the stalls dotting the Old Town during the weekend: wild boar roasted on a spit, pear-filled baked goods called rissoles, and mulled wine. More about the program at www.1602.ch.

Christmas festivities. The Swiss love Christmas cookies like cinnamon stars with glazed sugar icing. Honey cookies called Tirggel are popular in the Zurich area: some have little holes in them for ribbon so you can tie them on the Christmas tree. Yule logs, amply available in bakery shops and supermarkets all over the country, are a favorite dessert at special holiday meals. A favorite savory dish in Geneva is cardoons (sold fresh at food markets only at this time of year) in white sauce au gratin to go with the Christmas turkey.

Under Events, www.myswitzerland.com lists a dizzying array of winter-chasing events as well as cow and sheep up/down mountain fetes, and more.