10 traditional Christmas foods from Switzerland

When December arrives, the snow begins to fall across the mountains and children’s wishlists begin to fill up, people across Switzerland will start preparing for Christmas dinner. Want to give your festive celebrations a local twist? Here are 10 Swiss Christmas foods you have to try:

Christmas food in Switzerland: What you need to know

Unlike other countries which have a set menu for Christmas dinner - roast goose in Germany, suckling pig in the Philippines and KFC fried chicken in Japan - Christmas food in Switzerland varies a lot by region and even among families. 

For instance, the traditional Christmas meal in German-speaking areas consists of a classic dish of roast meat and potato salad with plenty of delicious side dishes, while in western Switzerland and Ticino, turkey or chicken is the meal of choice, with some in the Romandie believing that serving the former at Christmas is a symbol of wealth and abundance. Some communities in Italian-speaking Switzerland eat capon, a fattened rooster, in a mustard sauce.

Dishes for Swiss Christmas dinner

Alongside the traditional roasts, there are many local and national dishes that set the Swiss Christmas apart. Here are 10 recipes to help get you in the festive spirit:

Fondue Chinoise

Along with Swiss cheese fondue, so-called Fondue Chinoise is a firm favourite among locals at Christmas. Unlike its cheesy cousin, this dish involves skewering and then boiling chunks of meat in a hot broth or stock.

As the name suggests, the dish is originally from China and Mongolia, though debates about how it became a Swiss Christmas classic are as hot as the broth itself. Some say Fondue Chinoise was brought back from China in the 1950s, while others say it was popularised in the 1970s as a healthier alternative to cheese fondue.

Regardless, over the years each region has developed its own variation on the classic, from adding fruit as a garnish (German-speaking Switzerland) and using a red wine broth (Romandie) to using a wine-based stock to cook pre-marinated hunks of meat (Valais). 

Filet im Teig

Another Christmas classic in German-speaking Switzerland is the legendary Filet im Teig. The Swiss version of a Wellington, the dish consists of a fillet of pork or beef coated in a filling of choice, then wrapped in bacon (optional) and puff pastry and roasted until juicy and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Paired with roast potatoes and vegetables, what you get is a hearty, rich and all-round delicious festive feast.

The concept of a Wellington has its origins with Arthur Wellesley, the British Prime Minister and Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. It is said that on the eve of the Battle of Vitoria in 1813, he was served a fillet of meat (quite likely horse) in a pastry wrapping, which quickly became his favourite meal. 

The Swiss Filet im Teig has a less prestigious history, having allegedly been invented in the 1930s by a chef in Zurich.

Schüfeli

Another classic Christmas dinner in Switzerland is Schüfeli. The Swiss Schüfeli is a cured and smoked shoulder of ham, which is typically boiled in a broth with other meats, herbs, spices and wine.

Serve with sauerkraut, broad beans and potatoes, and you have a simple yet delicious Christmas dinner. Some places across the country have developed their own recipes for the dish, ranging from a Schüfeli in a honey glaze to wrapping the pork shoulder in pastry to make an indulgent Filet im Teig.

Raclette

Want a Christmas recipe where your guests do all the cooking? Then a Swiss Raclette is for you! As part of the dish, guests gather around a grill to melt slices of special raclette cheese. This delicious molten mixture is then poured on top of boiled potatoes for a warming winter dish loved across the cantons.

At home, raclette grills also allow you to cook hunks of meat on top of the cheese. Switzerland has also created a raclette spice mixture to dust on top of your cheese to give it a tasty twist. En Guete!

Pastetli mit Milken

Finally, one of the few regional dishes focused on Christmas is Pastetli mit Milken from Canton Aargau. Milken is a highly prized cut of veal, which combined with veal shoulder and a milk, chicken and mushroom cream sauce, is then used to fill cups of puff pastry or Pastetli. Another popular variation, Pastetli mit Brätkügeli, sees the pastry cups filled with sausage meatballs in a cream sauce.

Alongside some rice and greens, what you get is a miniature pie that is well worth a try.

Traditional Swiss Christmas desserts and sweet treats

Though Swiss Christmas dinners are a delight, arguably the best local cuisine during the festive season are the sweet treats and desserts on offer:

Grittibänz

Beloved by both children and adults across Switzerland is the Grittibänz, a sweet bread baked in the shape of a person. The recipe itself is deceptively simple, consisting of sweet yeast bread, butter, milk, flour, eggs and raisins. Unlike the German version of the treat, traditionally the Swiss Grittibänz is not served with a fake pipe to smoke - though they are occasionally impaled with a stick of Swiss chocolate.

Grittibänz has the longest recorded history as a Swiss Christmas dish, having been enjoyed since at least the 16th century. The figures themselves were originally meant to portray Samichlaus (St. Nicolas) or Saint Martin.

While tasty in their own right, perhaps the best part of the Grittibänz is families and children coming together to make them.

Magenbrot

For many, the smell of sweet gingerbread is one of the many signs that Christmas has arrived, and no dish represents this more completely than Magenbrot. The small cookie-like treats are a combination of rye flour with sugar, gingerbread, nuts, cinnamon and honey in a dark chocolate glaze.

The concept of Magenbrot or Sweet Bread has its origins in the medieval period, when pharmacies in Switzerland and southern Germany used to sell it as a remedy. Its evolution from medicinal cure to Christmas treat began in the 18th century when Swiss bakers began to add almonds, eggs and sugar into the mix. The indulgent chocolate coating was added in the 1940s.

Swiss Christmas cookies

The pinnacle of Swiss Christmas food has to be the many wonderful cookies on offer. In December, people across Switzerland don their pinnies and bake a selection of these sweet treats to give to friends, family and even neighbours.

Some of the most well-known Christmas cookies are Zimtstern or cinnamon stars - an almond biscuit drizzled in lemon icing - and mini Spitzbuebe - a shortbread biscuit sandwich with jam in between. What’s more, every region has its own spin on Christmas cookies, from the dark chocolate and almond Brunslis of Basel to the Amaretti of Ticino.

Roast chestnuts

One of the true signs that Christmas is in full swing is that across Swiss cities, tiny huts spring up selling hot roast chestnuts or Heissi Marroni. The simply roasted and split chestnuts are an excellent handwarmer when the weather gets cold, and provide a hearty and sweet snack to anyone on the go.

Panettone

Finally, move over the boozy cakes of the UK and Ireland and try Ticino Christmas cake, known more widely as Panettone. After a bountiful Christmas meal with all the trimmings, those south of the Swiss mountains like to tuck into a slice of this sweet Italian fruitcake.

Switzerland and Christmas food

We hope that through this list, you will get a sense that family traditions take precedence at Swiss Christmas time, with local dishes to equal parts warm and delight those lucky enough to have a seat at your table. Have a local Christmas classic that we’ve failed to mention? Let us know in the comments below!