The Progressive Menu—Swiss Style!

From playing host to mainland Europe’s only tea plantation to having the world’s first vegetarian ‘butcher’ and a chocolate factory manned by a single person, Switzerland is full of some of the unlikeliest of culinary surprises that make up the perfect progressive dining menu.    

By Raul Dias

I distinctly remember my very first encounter with the term “progressive dining”. It was a decade ago—after a sweltering hot April day spent traipsing around Bangkok’s shopping malls—that my local friends suggested an encore. But with a foodie twist. What they proposed was a jaunt across the bustling megalopolis where we’d have drinks at one place, appetisers at another, mains at a 1 Michelin-starred restaurant on the other side of the Chao Phraya River and end with a movable (quite literally!) dessert feast at Bangkok’s coolest new ice cream truck in the backpacker haven of Khao San Road.
Born in the US of the late 1980s as a sort of dining scene hybrid of the 70s potluck dinner and known  multifariously as a “safari supper” and a “round-robin”, a progressive dinner originally involved successive courses prepared and eaten at the residences of different hosts in the same area. And while my 2009 version had ‘progressed’ to involve different neighbourhoods in the same city, it’s safe to say that my recent 2019 upgraded Swiss iteration of the term involved something a tad different…  

  

Course I
Wine with Chips, perhaps?
With a legacy that stretches back to the 14^th Century, Domaine Zweifel is a winery that’s unlike any other I had ever visited. For one, it is located in the Limmat Valley just outside the city of Zurich in Zurich-Höngg, a short 15-minutes bus ride away from the city’s main train station. And though it isn’t surprising that Zurich is the largest wine producing area in eastern Switzerland, it is almost unfathomable to have a full-fledged vineyard so close to the city center. The family firm not only makes some truly fine-tasting, easy-on-the palate wines like the smoky Räuschling and the refreshing and light Pinot Gris but is also the producer of Zweifel, Switzerland’s number one brand of potato chips. The slightly spicy paprika flavoured one making for the perfect amuse-bouche when paired with their crisp Sauvignon Blanc.    

Course II
A Starters and Mains Veggie Wonderland
Having never heard of products like ‘Facon’ and ‘Noix Gras’ before, I lost my mock meat virginity at what is claimed to be the world’s first veggie butcher aka. the Hiltl Shop along Zurich’s St. Annagasse street. Chomping down on a fat piece of ‘bacon’ made from tempeh which is a fermented soy bean mock meat and a sliver of melba toast topped with the hazelnut substitute for the goose liver foie gras, I tried hard to mediate the conflict my mind and taste buds were having a go at. Both imposters were that deceptively authentic tasting.
An all vegetarian meal of cumin-dusted roasted cauliflower soup and saffron gnocchi was what followed next door to the ‘butcher shop’ at its sister concern—Haus Hiltl on Sihlstrasse street. This Guinness World Records-certified restaurant is believed to be the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant having opened its doors in 1898. And while I was told that it welcomes all sorts of diners—including callous carnivores like myself—it banishes away those with a propensity for wearing fur. ‘nuff said!      

Course III
A Chocolate Overdose
Imagine a place that is just like Willy Wonka’s magical factory, but one where Willy Wonka and his posse of Oompa Loompas all fuse into one single person. For dessert of all things chocolate, I headed down to Zurich’s Überlandstrasse street for the one man show that is Taucherli Chocolate. Be it the chief chocolate maker, innovator, packer, marketeer, or supplier, Kay Keusen is all that at this one-man-run artisan chocolaterie. With a tasting of everything from the brand’s roasted rapeseed and spicy Christmas special chocolate bars to the deliciously dark 77% chocolate lollies made from Colombian cocoa nibs, Taucherli Chocolate reinforced my belief that dessert is truly the best part of the meal.

Course IV
Holy Cheese!
For my cheese course, I found myself in the beautiful winter paradise of Engelberg a short two-hour train ride away from Zurich via Lucerne. Just like its name—Engelberg (“angel mountain” in German)—almost everything in this tiny little Alpine town revolves around an angel who was said to have appeared in the dream of Duke Conrad von Sellenbüren in 1120 directing him to construct a monastery in the village. And today, nestled in the shadow of the mighty Titlis mountain, it is the attached cheese factory that is drawing in cheese aficionados by the droves. The show cheese factory is a rather unique one in that it is the only Swiss cheese factory located in a monastery and the only one that can produce the famous Engelberger Klosterglocke soft cream cheese that takes its trademarked bell shape from the monastery’s bell.

Course V
Tranquili‘Tea’…
Given my predilection for a nice post-prandial cup of green tea, I set off to the town of Ascona in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino to get my fix. Now, while Switzerland might seem like the unlikeliest of places to have its own tea plantation, Monte Verità that looms above Ascona has its own story to tell. Once the spot where revolutionists, artists and philosophers used to experiment new ways of life, Monte Verità or “The Mountain of Truth” is also the place that has mainland Europe’s only tea plantation. It was here at the very end of the “Il sentiero del tè” tea path, surrounded by the lush tea bushes that I got my share of the refreshing sen-cha green tea at a quaint little Japanese tea hut in a traditional tea ceremony that made me believe that I was more in Sapporo than Switzerland!  

Travel log

Getting There
There are daily direct flights from India to Zurich on Swiss International Airlines. From Zurich, the extensive network of Swiss Railways gets you to both Engelberg and Ascona—or just about anywhere in the country—in luxury and comfort. Getting a Swiss Travel Pass before leaving for Switzerland is a great idea, as it includes unlimited travel on various modes of transport such as trains, trams, buses, cable cars, funiculars and boats. As a bonus, you also get free admission to more than 500 museums throughout Switzerland.

Stay
Though on the expensive side, Zurich has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from. Two such recommended accommodation options are the super trendy, city-centered Marktgasse Hotel Zürich (Rs 21,200 for two with breakfast, marktgassehotel.ch) and the more luxurious, art-filled The Dolder Grand Hotel (Rs 38,900 for two with breakfast, thedoldergrand.com) that’s a little out of the main Zurich commercial zone, but worth the trek!

Tip
* Why not bathe above Zurich’s rooftops? Sign yourselves up for a rooftop bathing experience at the Thermalbad & Spa Zurich amid the century-old stone vaults of the former brewery. Fresh thermal water bubbling straight from Zurich’s hot springs helps you catch up with some much-needed R&R (thermalbad-zuerich.ch).

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 3rd August 2019 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 21 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/progressive-dining-in-switzerland/article28793834.ece?fbclid=IwAR0ksRMPhN19a2w0OxUtcyGOL0lip7Vv4g46dTzAFEHYDqt3u3vZpyYH5RI)

4 Reasons Why Ticino is Switzerland’s Best Kept Secret

With its sunny, almost-Mediterranean climate and relaxed, laid-back vibe, the Italian-speaking Canton of Ticino in the south of Switzerland is a hidden jewel waiting to be discovered. Raul Dias shows you another facet of this perennial tourist favourite!  

Ascona (pic courtesy: Switzerland Tourism)

By Raul Dias

1. Ascona on Lake Maggiore
Lying at the delta of the River Maggia in a unique, sun-drenched bay, the pretty town of Ascona is often described as “the pearl of Lake Maggiore”. Although popular with local Swiss travellers as a top-quality holiday resort, not much is known about Ascona on the global travel scene. Not anymore, we say! With the motto here being “l’arte di vivere” or “the art of living”, Ascona puts on a mighty show with its irresistible waterfront on the Piazza Giuseppe Motta that is home to numerous restaurants, cafés and bars that stay open until the wee hours. Yet Ascona is more than just a chic party place: this picturesque resort town has a rich cultural and historical heritage. Especially impressive are the Baroque façades of the Casa Serodine and the neighbouring parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, a pillared basilica dating from the 16th century, of which the high bell-tower or campanile is the symbol of Ascona. Lake Maggiore is another one of its calling cards. As the largest lake in Southern Switzerland, with its shoreline divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino, the lake is perfect for a leisurely afternoon sail down its placid waters.

2. Monte Verità: Europe’s Only Tea Plantation
Monte Verità, also known as ‘The Mountain of Truth’—that sits mighty above Ascona—is a unique place. Not only is it the spot where revolutionists, artists and philosophers once used to experiment new ways of life, but it is also the place that has mainland Europe’s only tea plantation. This botanic miracle has become a reality, on the one hand because of the unique microclimate, and on the other thanks to Peter Oppliger an expert in medicinal plants who calls himself a “tea philosopher”. After years of experimentation, it was only in the autumn of 2005 that the first harvest could successfully be made into a small amount of green tea. Oppliger’s aim, it is said, is not commercial cultivation, but to show those who are interested the working of tea cultivation and production. “Il sentiero del tè” (The Tea Way) is a course which has been built according to Japanese philosophy. Along this free-to-all path built into the slopes of Monte Verità, visitors can experience every aspect of the culture of tea from its production to its appreciation.

3. The Quaint Little Village of Gandria
Few places in Ticino are photographed as much as the beautiful little village of Gandria on Lake Lugano. As the last village of Switzerland before the border with neighbouring Italy, Gandria has a distinct Italian look and feel to it. And the best way to get a pulse of the magic of this former fishing village is to roam its narrow streets on foot. However, it is said that the lake is the best vantage point to see the terraced houses rising up the hillside below the Baroque San Vigilio Church. You can also reach the town of Lugano by boat in a matter of minutes. The alternative is to walk along the olive path, which meanders through woods and olive groves on the lake shore. Don’t miss checking out the information boards along the seven-kilometer route that offer valuable insights into the history, botany, cultivation, and oil made from the olive fruit.

4. Fall for Lugano’s Charms
As the largest town in Ticino, Lugano is not only Switzerland’s third most important financial center, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. With an unmissable Mediterranean flair, Lugano offers all the advantages of an excellent city, combined with the cachet of a small town. Located in a bay on the northern side of Lake Lugano, surrounded by the mounts San Salvatore and Brè, any side you look will reward you with splendid views. The traffic-free historic town center, the famous exclusive-shopping street of Via Nassa or the gourmet-street Via Pessina, the numerous buildings in Lombardy style, the exclusive museums, the mountains, lake and a packed calendar of events all suggest the decidedly Italian-inspired good life or “dolce vita”. By the lakeside promenade, don’t miss the Belvedere Garden, where the parkland boasts not only of camellias and magnolias but also of countless sub-tropical plants and modern works of art and sculptures.

(An edited version of this article appeared on 25 July 2018 in Travel + Leisure, India and South Asia http://travelandleisureindia.in/ticino-is-a-swiss-secret-canton/)

Notes from Switzerland

By Raul Dias

Fronted by the magnificent views of the hills of the city of Ascona on its Northwestern shoreline, Lake Maggiore—or ‘Lago Maggiore’ to use the lingua franca of Switzerland’s Italian speaking region of Ticino—is a rather unique waterbody. Not only is it the largest lake in Southern Switzerland, with its shoreline divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino, but Lake Maggiore also holds within its placid waters a little secret. Tea.

Down to the Tea
Yes, around one hundred tea plants can be found on the Isola Grande, the larger of the lake’s two islands, close to the Ascona shoreline. But with these planted as mere sample crops, Ascona’s true claim to fame as home to mainland Europe’s (there is another on the mid-Atlantic Azores Islands of Portugal) first and only tea plantation, however, lies a little farther up a hill. Aptly called Monte Verità or ‘Mountain of Truth’, it was on this hill, perched precariously above the city of Ascona, where revolutionists, artists and philosophers once used to experiment new ways of life, all thanks to one man.
In 1964, Baron Eduard von der Heydt bequeathed the Monte Verità complex to the Swiss Republic and Canton of Ticino with the request that “Monte Verità be used for international artistic and cultural activities at the highest level”. So, in the mid-90s, taking this request seriously, Peter Oppliger an expert in medicinal plants and self-confessed ‘tea philosopher’ started experimenting with cultivating tea plant saplings brought in from India, China, Sri Lanka and Japan.
However, it was only in the autumn of 2005 that this botanic miracle of cultivating tea in Europe became a reality, thanks to Oppliger’s efforts and because of Ascona’s unique microclimate. It was then that the first harvest of the Camellia Sinensis variety of tea could successfully be made into a small amount of green tea.

Japan in Switzerland!
Today, in-keeping with the Monte Verità communal philosophy, combined with Oppliger’s aim of non-commercial cultivation, the modest-sized plantation is open for free to all those who are interested in understanding tea cultivation and production. Set up to resemble a bucolic Japanese tea garden, replete with gurgling streams, a zen garden and a gazebo, it is here where volunteers take guests on a tea quest of sorts.
“Il sentiero del tè” or “The Tea Way” is a course which has been built according to Japanese philosophy. Along this path, tea enthusiasts get to experience every aspect of the culture of tea from around the world. With everything from our very own desi chai deconstructed, to the modern-day trend of cold brewing explained to the, well…T!
However, it is at the last station, where the most intense of all tea experiences takes place. In a purpose-built Japanese style log cabin called a chashitsu, guests are taken through a ritual chanoyu Japanese tea ceremony.

Add Ons…
But it’s not all about tea atop Monte Verità. For architectural style enthusiasts like myself, the Monte Verità Hotel next to the tea plantation with its large communal balconies and wide corridors presented itself as a perfect specimen of the languid, rather fluid lines of the Bauhaus architectural movement of the mid-20^th century. A style that itself was born out of the post-WWII need for austerity by embracing utilitarianism and community, while vehemently condemning ornamentation of any kind and thus a continuation of Baron Eduard von der Heydt’s ideology of fostering artistic and communal expression.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 22nd July 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/notes-from-switzerland/article24481825.ece)