Food Tips
Quiz: Do you know Swiss food?
Helen Racanelli with a caquelon of fondue in Zermatt (https://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html), Switzerland Image by: Helen Racanelli with a <i>caquelon</i> of fondue in Zermatt (https://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html), Switzerland
Food Tips
Quiz: Do you know Swiss food?
Switzerland and Canada have lots in common: not just cold winters and rugged scenery, but also a love of good food. Think you're an expert in the food that fuels famous Swiss citizens like tennis stars Roger Federer and Martina Hingis -- and even Canada's own Shania Twain, who lives in Switzerland?
Yes? You know rösti from muesli? Or you're convinced you've eaten enough Swiss chocolate or cheese to make you an expert? Then find out how much you know about the foods from Switzerland by taking this fun quiz.
1. What is rösti?
a) A type of vegetable
b) Grated-potato pancake
c) Beef roast
d) Dessert
2. Which of these famous chocolate brands are from Switzerland?
a) Mozart Balls
b) Lindt
c) Toblerone
d) Laura Secord
3. Traditional muesli, a breakfast food Switzerland is famous for, is made of:
a) Flakes of corn, puffed rice, raisins
b) Shredded wheat and milk
c) Yogurt, berries
d) Rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds
4. Switzerland is a multilingual country, like Canada. Bordering several countries, Swiss nationals speak these four official main languages, French, German, a language called Romansch (which only 1 per cent of the population speaks), and this language:
a) Danish
b) Italian
c) Dutch
d) Polish
5. Fondue is perhaps the most famous Swiss dish of all. Traditionally, what would you dip into the melted cheese?
a) Crackers
b) Cut vegetables
c) Bread
d) Boiled eggs
6. Raclette is:
a) a type of Swiss cheese, and also the name of a dish
b) a pork dish served with green beans
c) omelette with herbs and onions
d) white wine from the French-speaking part of Switzerland
7. "Swiss cheese" is actually the North American food term for this type of cheese:
a) Gruyère
b) Appenzeller
c) Gouda
d) Emmental
Page 1 of 2 -- Find out your score, plus find delicious Swiss recipes on page 2
1. b) Rösti, (pronounced row-shtee) is a potato dish eaten all over Switzerland. It's made simply from grated potato, or with bacon, cheese, onion, apple or fresh herbs, and pan-fried. In the past, potatoes were an important staple food for people living in the harsh winter climate of the Alps. Try Canadian Living's Tested Till Perfect Rösti recipe.
2. b) Lindt, and c) Toblerone. Laura Secord is from Canada (remember Laura Secord from Canadian history class?), and Mozart Balls are not a brand but rather a type of chocolate from Austria, usually in a wrapper bearing the composer's likeness. Though Swiss chocolate is famous worldwide, the small landlocked European country grows neither the cocoa nor sugar needed for chocolate. But it doesn't mean their chocolates aren't delicious! Fun fact: Toblerone's triangle-shape evokes the Matterhorn mountain peak in the Alps.
3. d) Rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. This cereal is packed with healthy carbs like rolled oats and fruit, and protein loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, like nuts. Make your own using this Canadian Living muesli recipe. Another variation of muesli is Birchermuesli, a breakfast dish consisting of muesli mixed with yogurt and fresh fruit - perfect morning fuel for a day of skiing or hiking in the Alps.
4. b) Italian. In the southernmost region of Switzerland is the township of Ticino, which borders on Italy. The locals of Ticino speak Italian, enjoy a more moderate climate and eat a cuisine heavily influenced by Northern Italy. Chestnuts (check out our Chestnut Tournedos recipe), corn, potatoes, dairy, and game and fish are integral in Swiss-Italian cooking. Nowadays, authentic pizzas and pastas are popular, too.
5. c) bread. Cubed pieces of bread (usually leftover, crusty bread) are the usual accompaniment to fondue, as are steamed potatoes. Fondue itself is made of Swiss cheeses such as gruyère and emmental, and wine. Each Swiss region has its own fondue specialty, using its local cheeses. The ceramic fondue pot is called a caquelon, and cheese is kept melted and bubbly with a small burner or tea light.
6. a) Raclette is both the name of a semi-firm cow's milk cheese, and a popular yummy dish consisting of cheese melted and scraped onto a plate. The word comes from the French verb racler or, "to scrape." It's often served with pickled cocktail onions and gherkins, which you dip into the caramelized cheese. (Get tips on hosting a fun raclette dinner party.)
7. d) Emmental. Ever wonder why Swiss cheese has big holes in it? During the cheesemaking process, good bacteria crucial to making Emmental called Propionibacter shermani reacts with lactic acid, creating big carbon dioxide bubbles. Voilà, holes in the cheese. Why is Swiss cheese associated with mice, who supposedly love to nibble on it? We have no idea -- but if you do, let us know!
Add up your correct responses. How many did you get right?
6 to 7
Hey, no fair -- you must be Swiss! When you're not skiing or maybe even yodelling, you're chowing down on fondue with friends, making your own muesli, or at the cheese shop loading up on gourmet Swiss cheeses.
3 to 5
Not bad, but you're not an expert yet. Time to hone your skills by typing in "Swiss" in CanadianLiving.com's recipe search tool and trying delish recipes like Swiss Pork and Mushrooms.
0 to 3
You get an A for effort, but you're no Swiss Miss (or Mister). Next time you're out on the town, why not try a restaurant that specializes in food from Switzerland? FYI, the local Swiss Chalet doesn't count!
Think you know food? Take our What's your nutrition IQ, Test your food IQ and What's your eating style quizzes.
Page 2 of 2
Yes? You know rösti from muesli? Or you're convinced you've eaten enough Swiss chocolate or cheese to make you an expert? Then find out how much you know about the foods from Switzerland by taking this fun quiz.
1. What is rösti?
a) A type of vegetable
b) Grated-potato pancake
c) Beef roast
d) Dessert
2. Which of these famous chocolate brands are from Switzerland?
a) Mozart Balls
b) Lindt
c) Toblerone
d) Laura Secord
3. Traditional muesli, a breakfast food Switzerland is famous for, is made of:
a) Flakes of corn, puffed rice, raisins
b) Shredded wheat and milk
c) Yogurt, berries
d) Rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds
4. Switzerland is a multilingual country, like Canada. Bordering several countries, Swiss nationals speak these four official main languages, French, German, a language called Romansch (which only 1 per cent of the population speaks), and this language:
a) Danish
b) Italian
c) Dutch
d) Polish
5. Fondue is perhaps the most famous Swiss dish of all. Traditionally, what would you dip into the melted cheese?
a) Crackers
b) Cut vegetables
c) Bread
d) Boiled eggs
6. Raclette is:
a) a type of Swiss cheese, and also the name of a dish
b) a pork dish served with green beans
c) omelette with herbs and onions
d) white wine from the French-speaking part of Switzerland
7. "Swiss cheese" is actually the North American food term for this type of cheese:
a) Gruyère
b) Appenzeller
c) Gouda
d) Emmental
Page 1 of 2 -- Find out your score, plus find delicious Swiss recipes on page 2
1. b) Rösti, (pronounced row-shtee) is a potato dish eaten all over Switzerland. It's made simply from grated potato, or with bacon, cheese, onion, apple or fresh herbs, and pan-fried. In the past, potatoes were an important staple food for people living in the harsh winter climate of the Alps. Try Canadian Living's Tested Till Perfect Rösti recipe.
2. b) Lindt, and c) Toblerone. Laura Secord is from Canada (remember Laura Secord from Canadian history class?), and Mozart Balls are not a brand but rather a type of chocolate from Austria, usually in a wrapper bearing the composer's likeness. Though Swiss chocolate is famous worldwide, the small landlocked European country grows neither the cocoa nor sugar needed for chocolate. But it doesn't mean their chocolates aren't delicious! Fun fact: Toblerone's triangle-shape evokes the Matterhorn mountain peak in the Alps.
3. d) Rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. This cereal is packed with healthy carbs like rolled oats and fruit, and protein loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, like nuts. Make your own using this Canadian Living muesli recipe. Another variation of muesli is Birchermuesli, a breakfast dish consisting of muesli mixed with yogurt and fresh fruit - perfect morning fuel for a day of skiing or hiking in the Alps.
4. b) Italian. In the southernmost region of Switzerland is the township of Ticino, which borders on Italy. The locals of Ticino speak Italian, enjoy a more moderate climate and eat a cuisine heavily influenced by Northern Italy. Chestnuts (check out our Chestnut Tournedos recipe), corn, potatoes, dairy, and game and fish are integral in Swiss-Italian cooking. Nowadays, authentic pizzas and pastas are popular, too.
5. c) bread. Cubed pieces of bread (usually leftover, crusty bread) are the usual accompaniment to fondue, as are steamed potatoes. Fondue itself is made of Swiss cheeses such as gruyère and emmental, and wine. Each Swiss region has its own fondue specialty, using its local cheeses. The ceramic fondue pot is called a caquelon, and cheese is kept melted and bubbly with a small burner or tea light.
6. a) Raclette is both the name of a semi-firm cow's milk cheese, and a popular yummy dish consisting of cheese melted and scraped onto a plate. The word comes from the French verb racler or, "to scrape." It's often served with pickled cocktail onions and gherkins, which you dip into the caramelized cheese. (Get tips on hosting a fun raclette dinner party.)
7. d) Emmental. Ever wonder why Swiss cheese has big holes in it? During the cheesemaking process, good bacteria crucial to making Emmental called Propionibacter shermani reacts with lactic acid, creating big carbon dioxide bubbles. Voilà, holes in the cheese. Why is Swiss cheese associated with mice, who supposedly love to nibble on it? We have no idea -- but if you do, let us know!
Add up your correct responses. How many did you get right?
6 to 7
Hey, no fair -- you must be Swiss! When you're not skiing or maybe even yodelling, you're chowing down on fondue with friends, making your own muesli, or at the cheese shop loading up on gourmet Swiss cheeses.
3 to 5
Not bad, but you're not an expert yet. Time to hone your skills by typing in "Swiss" in CanadianLiving.com's recipe search tool and trying delish recipes like Swiss Pork and Mushrooms.
0 to 3
You get an A for effort, but you're no Swiss Miss (or Mister). Next time you're out on the town, why not try a restaurant that specializes in food from Switzerland? FYI, the local Swiss Chalet doesn't count!
Think you know food? Take our What's your nutrition IQ, Test your food IQ and What's your eating style quizzes.
Page 2 of 2
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