Welcome to Basel

Switzerland to me has always been a fairytale. Mountainous regions, crystal clear icy lakes, aquamarine blue skies, the best cuisine and so much more. In July this year, I decided to forego the usual international centres of Zurich or Geneva, and go for a cute off-the-beaten-track but very international petite city - Basel.

Little did I know that the weekend trip I would be taking there would be full of adventures.

I was living and studying in France at the time, so getting to Switzerland was not a hassle. Given I was staying in the French city of Strasbourg, the train ride from Strasbourg to Basel was only 40 minutes.

We were in Switzerland! I couldn't wait to start yodelling - but my friends stopped me - "We couldn't have you thrown out of Switzerland because of your singing voice Ivan". Ahh such faith in me..

We were now in Basel for the weekend, what many a travel writer and geographical experts have termed the jewel city of Switzerland. Known of it's role in the country's economy, culture and it's role as an international meeting place, we were certain that there would be much on offer - we were not wrong.

A Foodie's Paradise

Keep in mind that we arrived at 8am in the morning, so my friends and I were absolutely famished. The first thing on our mind was food. A good hearty Swiss meal, and this is what Part 1 of my Switzerland series will focus on.

For those who don't know already, Switzerland is a confederacy. This means that it is an association of sovereign states or communities. Switzerland is composed of counties called "Cantons". These cantons make up Switzerland - there are three cultures here, Swiss-French, Swiss-German, and Swiss Italian. Given this diversity, ofcourse the options of cuisine would be countless.

What I found though was that although the regional cuisines of Switzerland were influenced by their neighbours - Germany, Austria, Italy and France, they definitely had a unique nature which I loved.

Being a total foodie, I spoke to a local, Rita Fuchs, an aspiring food critic, and this is what she told me:

"You have to remember that Switzerland whilst having been a confederacy since 1291, it is still a country that is finding itself and shaping it's identity through various medium - what better way to do this than through it's world famous cuisine?

And while it's cuisine does have influences from neighbouring countries, over the past 700 years Swiss cuisine has truly taken on an identity of it's own. This is demonstrated by the many Swiss restaurants worldwide. And something you will also find is that the various regions in Switzerland are not afraid to mix and match their dishes to come up with new ones".

These words rang true as I tried several dishes of Swiss cuisine that fun filled weekend. In terms of cuisine, I knew my visit to Switzerland would not be complete or brag-worthy without having tried dishes from all three cuisines. For myself, the highlights include:

Swiss-German

Rosti - This one is a simple dish - not unsimilar to hash browns. Rita told me this is a Swiss German favourite, and Basel is famous for making the best tasting ones according to the guidebooks. Imagine the most nicest, softest hash brown you have ever tasted - and add to that apple sauce. Heavenly.

This dish is made with roughly grated potato, fried, with butter added. The grated potatoes are then usually shaped into rounds or patties, and a number of additional ingredients are usually added - onion, cheese, apple and fresh herbs. And then oven baked to perfection. Rating? 8/10.

Alplermagronen - Literally "Alpine herdsman's macaroni" is an all-in-one dish which uses ingredients the traditional herdsman had at their disposal at their alpine cottages - the dish tasted included macaroni, potatoes, onions and scrumptious melted cheese! Traditionally, this dish is also served with Apple sauce instead of a salad. Rating? 7/10

Swiss-French

Fondue - This one is possibly the most famous on the Swiss menu. Fondue is made out of mouth-watering melted cheese. My friends and I ate this by dipping small pieces of bread and potatoes using sticks, into the melted cheese. I am definitely fond of fondue! Seriously when that cheese hits your taste buds, you know you've gone to paradise. Soft, warm, and couple that taste with something sturdy like delicious potato or bread. Too good to be true! Rating? 9/10!

Carac - This one is a French Swiss pastry made of chocolate. This one was interesting. I had never seen a pastry that was so green before. As my friends and I cut into this pastry pie, we found that the top is completely covered with glow-in-the-dark-type green icing. But a delicious pie none the less. Rating? 5/10.

Swiss-Italian

Pizzoccheri - The favourite Swiss-Italian dish I had was the pizzoccheri. This short dish of tagliatelle pasta made out of buckwheat flour cooked along with greens and cubed potatoes provided the perfect balance and ending to my last meal in Switzerland.

Switzerland's cuisine is always fresh, tasty, well prepared. Every meal is unforgettable here. Imagine having an entree of Rosti, then a plate of pizzoccheri, followed by some chocolate fondue...yep, you guessed it - only in Switzerland.