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A Typical Swiss Meal

There are few things that define a culture as much as their traditions and customs around eating. It's not only about what we eat but also about how and when we eat that define different cultures. This is certainly true for us Swiss. We eat like we are: in a well ordered fashion and - you might have guessed it - very much after the clock!

Typical Meals in Switzerland

Growing up, it was normal to eat a rich breakfast and then a healthy snack just a few hours later at 9am. It was normal to always eat lunch at exactly noon and have another snack (or something sweet if we were in for a treat) at 4pm. Dinner was a bit more flexible time-wise but food-wise it was almost always bread, cold cuts, butter and cheese.

For most people living in Switzerland, these five daily meals are still part of their daily routine. We are used to our Znüni break even at work and many still believe it's healthier and better for your sleep habits to eat a cold dinner.

In this mini series I'll write about these five daily meals people usually eat in Switzerland:

Zmorge - breakfast
Znüni - mid-morning snack
Zmittag - lunch
Zvieri  - mid-afternoon snack
Znacht - dinner

Among others, I'll try to respond to the following questions: What do we typically eat during those meals? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? I hope to answer these and more questions about eating customs in Switzerland for you.

Stay tuned!

empty plate - Thomas Förstermann  / 



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