Facts
The apple is the most beloved fruit in Switzerland. The biggest apple in the world was harvested in Japan in 2005. It weighed an impressive 1.9 kilogrammes – about ten times the weight of an average apple.
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The aronia berry came to East Germany via Russia in the 70s. Its cultivation was mandated by the government! It was mostly used as a colourant in the food industry.
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In German, men with a somewhat weak physique are often ridiculed as “asparagus Tarzans”. Even though asparagus was chosen for this metaphor for its shape, it also needs to be mentioned that the vegetable has hardly any calories, either. In other words, you are what you eat.
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Substituting cigarettes with aubergines? There is some truth to this myth. Just like other nightshades – a family that also includes the potato and the tomato – aubergines contain nicotine. Don’t worry, though: the content is vanishingly small.
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Children use the autumn turnip to make lanterns for lantern processions. In the old days, autumn turnips were carved and used as lights on the way to the harvest church service. It’s the origin of today’s turnip lantern processions.
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Basil is also known as the “king of herbs”. Its name comes from the Greek word “basileùs”, meaning king or regent. The ancient Egyptians used basil as far back as 4,000 years ago. The herb was found in graves excavated in pyramids.
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Green, yellow and red bell peppers are popular as a pizza topping and in salads. Known as “peperoni” in Swiss German, they often cause confusion for Swiss tourists who order pizza in the US, where “pepperoni” is a sausage spiced with paprika.
Facts
The carrot is to vegetables what the apple is to fruit. However, despite its alternative name of “carrot country”, the canton of Aargau is not the main grower of Switzerland’s favourite vegetable; it is the canton of St. Gallen and the Bernese Seeland region.
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Did you think cherries and roses have no commonalities apart from their colour? Wrong. Cherries and roses are botanically related. You can tell when you look at cherry blossoms more closely. So why not give cherry blossoms instead of roses for a change?
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Does the chickpea have something to do with freshly hatched chicken, as the name suggests? Not quite. Its Latin name is “Cicer arietinum”, whch was anglicised into “chick”. Either way, chickpeas are very popular, particularly in the shape of a lovely hummus.
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Chicory, the Belgian national vegetable, was discovered by mistake. In 1830, a Belgian farmer forgot he had chicory roots in his cellar. They started to sprout offshoots and chicory the vegetable was born.
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Coriander – love it or hate it. The herb’s name comes from the Greek “koris”, meaning stink bug. It was probably chosen for the strong smell of the coriander plant.
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Courgettes are a type of squash with a very special feature: all plants have separate male and female flowers, which are both edible and delicious.
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Cress is extremely uncomplicated and low maintenance. It doesn’t even need soil to grow: cress can germinate on cotton wool. Light and water provide all the nutrients it needs to grow.
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In German, the crimson beebalm is known as “Indian nettle”. To this day, many native Americans swear by this herb and its antiseptic properties. Historically, shamans used the crimson beebalm to heal wounds and for inflammation of the throat and mouth.
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The cucumber is a true allrounder. Tired? Skip the coffee for some cucumber. Bad breath? Press a slice of cucumber to your hard palate for 30 seconds. Thirsty? Cucumbers are 95 per cent water and can help you stay hydrated. Give it a try!
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Fennel is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. Here’s a fun fact: the Greek word for fennel is “marathon”. Technically, that makes the marathon a “fennel run”.
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Did you know what humans and figs have in common? There is a female and a male of the species. Only the female fig blossoms bear fruit. Their male counterparts are needed for pollination.
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Flower sprouts have only recently been introduced to Switzerland – they are still known by their English name. They are a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale that was introduced to the English market in 2010.
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Garlic is extremely healthy. However, its smell and taste are not to everybody’s liking. Some people are even afraid of garlic. The condition is called alliumphobia.
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According to Chinese lore, there once was a man who ate goji berries every day and got to live until he was 252 years old. The berries are universally hailed as a fountain of youth and as a superfood that is rich in vitamins, calcium and fibre.
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What does iceberg lettuce have to do with ice? In the old days, iceberg salad was mainly grown in the East of the United States. To make sure it was still fresh upon delivery, it was stored on blocks of ice while transported in railway carriages. This is what led to the lettuce’s name.
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Jerusalem artichoke is a very exotic name for a vegetable. Its varieties, however, sound much more familiar. Henriette, Bianca, Lola and Medius could almost be a group of friends.
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Kardy is mostly eaten in France, Italy and Spain. In most parts of Switzerland, the vegetable is hardly known at all. Except for Western Switzerland, that is. Kardy is considered a delicacy there and often served at Christmas.
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The kiwi isn’t just a fruit, but also New Zealand’s national animal. New Zealanders even refer to themselves as “Kiwis”, such is their love for the bird. By the way, the fruit was, in fact, named after the bird.
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Lamb’s lettuce sounds somewhat nicer than the German “common field salad”. It is anything but common, and has been given a host of lovely and evocative German names over the years: Vogerlsalat, Ackersalat, Mausohrsalat, Nüsschen, Nüssler, Schafmäulchen, Sonnewirbele and Rapunzel.
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Lentils are tasty, rich in vitamins, easily digestible and available in yellow, red, green and black. An ideal vegetable by any measure, or is it? There are certain compounds in lentils that are bad for humans, toxic even. But don’t worry. Cooking renders them harmless.
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The name sounds a little crazy but refers to a type of leaf lettuce that comes in the varieties lollo bionda (green) and lollo rosso (red). Also known as coral lettuce. Its prominent feature – apart from the colour – are its curly leaves.
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In Switzerland, lovage is often called “Maggi herb”, after the popular condiment. It is said to taste just like it, even though the Maggi condiment itself contains no lovage at all. Lovage is ideal for both warm and cold cuisine, to refine salads, sauces, soups and stews.
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It is not entirely clear how many kinds of lupin or wolf bean (lupus = wolf) there are and not all are edible for humans. The wolf bean is extremely rich in protein, which is why it is often used as a substitute for soy.
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How about an aphrodisiac? That would undoubtedly spice up the day. Marjoram might help. After all, it was declared a symbol of bliss by none other than Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.
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Death by melon? Actually, the Habsburg emperor Friedrich III is said to have died of a melon overdose. However, chances are it was the double leg amputation performed on him two months earlier that killed him.
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Would you dare to just bite into an actinidia arguta “Issai”? Go on, it’s just the mini kiwi that hides behind this mysterious name. Of course, we still recommend you cut it open or peel it first.
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From the absurd to the scientifically proven, there are many tricks to avoid tears while chopping onions. Rinsing knife and onion with cold water before chopping and chopping the onion with the mouth full of water are both said to be tried and tested methods.
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Oregano is very popular as a pizza spice, but the origins of its name are not entirely clear. Some say it has ancient Greek roots, meaning something like “shining mountains”.
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Do you know what Federsielli, Gartenäppich, Paiterlin, Peterzilk and Felswurz have in common? They are all names for parsley, which is affectionately known as “Peterli” in Switzerland.
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Parents of toddlers particularly appreciate the parsnip for its slightly sweet taste and low nitrate content – it is perfect to make baby food.
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If you think you might have seen a small UFO in the garden, you shouldn’t worry. It was probably a patisson squash, also known as flying saucer squash for its distinctive shape.
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This small green pulse is one of the oldest vegetables in the world. Peas were cultivated and eaten as early as 8,000 B.C.
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With an annual output of more than 15 million tonnes, China is the world’s leading grower of peaches. This seems in proportion with the fact that almost one in five people on earth are Chinese.
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What is the origin of the name “couch potato”? In the 70s, a group of Americans formed an association to counteract the huge fitness wave of the time. They called themselves the couch potatoes. That was somewhat unfair – potatoes are healthy!
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The yellow purslane flowers don’t like working long hours – they are only open in the morning. It is generally a rather fussy plant: the seeds only germinate at temperatures higher than 25 degrees Celsius, and only if there’s enough light. As little as five millimetres of ground cover are too much for purslane seeds.
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Most people know quinces as an ingredient to make jams, but it can also be used for skin care. Quince seeds in salves and creams help with dry skin and chapped lips, sore nipples and light burns.
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2013 was officially called the year of quinoa by the UN. It was given this honour for being low maintenance yet nourishing and very versatile for cooking. It is considered a great food to combat world hunger.
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Radish is a family of three species with their own subspecies, one of which is the small radish. However, the hot horseradish that is often used a spice is not part of this family.
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Women, this is for you. Anecdotal evidence suggests that rasperry leaves might shorten the duration of the second stage of labour. They are also used to induce labour, for menstrual cramps and to help regulate the menstrual cycle.
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Redcurrant and rhubarb not only share a certain acidity, but also a botanical name. Redcurrant is known as “ribes”, one species of rhubarb as “rheum ribes”. Still, they are not related botanically.
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Most Swiss Germans refer to rocket by its Italian name, “rucola”, which is why its German name has been largely forgotten. Or did you know that rocket is called “Rauke” in German?
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The flower head of the Romanesco broccoli features Fibonacci spirals and is therefore particularly appealing to mathematicians. The form of the whole Romanesco broccoli mirrors the arrangement of its blossoms. But a fondness for maths is not required to enjoy this vegetable. It tastes excellent and leaves its white cousin, the cauliflower, far behind when it comes to vitamin C.
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No herb comes with more symbolism attached than rosemary. In ancient times, it was offered to the gods and the old Egyptians made their dead clutch rosemary twigs to make their journey into the afterlife more fragrant. And Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is given a rosemary wreath by Ophelia as a token of her fidelity.
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The red gold is one of the most expensive spices in the world. No wonder that saffron is widely forged around the world, often with a turmeric mix. For this reason, international quality criteria have been established with the ISO standard 3632 to protect consumers.
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“At that moment down the cellar
(Dreaming not what soon befell her)
Widow Tibbets went for sour
Krout, which she would oft devour
With exceeding great desire
(Warmed a little at the fire).” Sauerkraut in Wilhelm Busch’s “Max and Maurice”
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Six per cent of the planet’s agricultural land is being used to grow soy. Its protein is similar to animal protein, which is why it is often used for vegetarian meat substitutes.
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Did you know that the squash isn’t a vegetable, but a fruit? It is a berry fruit, to be exact. The reason for this is that the seeds are in the flesh of the squash.
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The strawberry is unique among fruits. It is the only fruit to carry its seeds on the outside. All other fruits have their pips and seeds inside.
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Even though Swiss chard has many great properties like high a vitamin C, calcium and protein contents, this leaf vegetable is not for everyone. People suffering from goat or kidney complaints and children should only enjoy Swiss chard in moderation. A glass of milk can help to neutralise the acid.
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The quintessential tomato does not exist – there are more than 3,200 varieties of all shapes and sizes. And botanically, the tomato is not a vegetable, but a fruit.
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The may turnip, this rather small, roundish and small root vegetable features very prominently in the municipal coat of arms of Austrian town Keutschach am See.
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There is nothing wild garlic cannot do. It is also welcome outside the kitchen, as a medicinal plant for coughs, fever, intestinal complaints and high blood pressure. It is at its best when freshly picked!
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The yellow turnip has long had the reputation of a wartime vegetable. During the First World War, there was food scarcity in Germany. Up until that point, yellow turnips had been used as animal feed. However, due to its sturdiness, this root vegetable soon found its way into the local kitchens.
Seasonal calendar – what is it?
Grapes, aubergines, butterhead lettuce, red cabbage and more – in most shops, the fruit and vegetable section is always well-stocked, no matter the season. However, this creates a wrong impression among consumers. After all, not all fruits and vegetables grow all year round in Switzerland. To support our habit of enjoying most kinds of fruit and vegetable almost 365 days of the year, they are often grown in the Southern hemisphere and flown into the country. The resulting carbon footprint is enormous. We believe things do not have to be this way.
To give you a better idea of when local fruits and vegetables are in season in our part of the world, we have created a seasonal calendar for Switzerland: in the seasonal calendar you can see when apples, cucumbers, melons and other produce are in season in Switzerland. You can also use it to specifically find fruits and vegetables that are currently in season.
You will see that seasonal fruits and vegetables are not only easier on your wallet, they also taste better.
Seasonal calendar – why shop regional and seasonal?
Why should we follow the seasonal calendar and buy vegetables and fruits grown in the region? There are various reasons why it is a good idea: in terms of energy consumption and size of carbon footprint, eating regional and seasonal is more environmentally friendly. Fruit and vegetables from Swiss farmers have shorter transport routes than exotic foodstuffs from all over the world. This also means the produce does not need to be packaged quite as elaborately, leading to a decrease in packaging material and waste. By shopping locally grown fruit and vegetables, you can also prevent excessive use of water. To be able to grow and thrive, fruit grown in some of the driest areas of the planet requires enormous amounts of irrigation water.
If you shop according to the seasonal calendar and focus on seasonal and regional products, you will soon find out just how intensely tasty regional fruits and vegetables are! Locally grown produce is allowed to ripen fully before it is harvested, whereas exotic fruits and vegetables are generally harvested unripe so they can be transported around the globe without spoiling – often at the expense of their taste.
You will see that by shopping regional and seasonal, you will not only protect nature, you will also do your palate a great favour. The Swiss Farmers’ seasonal calendar can help you find the right produce.