In honor of Swiss National Day, I’m exploring how I make some standout and classic Swiss alpine food vegan. I’m highlighting Älplermagronen, Capuns, Spätzli, and Zopf, including links to many more traditional Swiss offerings.
Beautiful article! I too bumped in äplemagronen and felt compelled to be writing about it. In my research for the article I discovered that it’s a direct descendant of a Mastro Martino recipe echoing the very first cacio e pepe and of course the very first Italian American MacAndCheese :)
Thanks very much for reading and contributing your thoughts and insight.
It's fascinating to learn about these historical connections! Tracing these comfort food lineages - from cacio e pepe through to Italian-American mac and cheese, all the way to the Swiss Alps - is quite interesting.
I would love to read your piece about Älplermagronen if you'd like to share a link.
My partner is vegan and also tries to eat fat-free (heart condition). We have our diets figured out at home but it’s very challenging to travel. We were so grateful last night when an Italian restaurant offered to make him cavatelli with broccoli rabe and cherry tomatoes and nothing else. At home I would have put some white beans in it.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Catherine… Traveling is very difficult as a vegan is very difficult in most cases - especially for those who are driven by health concerns… I’m happy you were able to find a solution in an Italian restaurant. Interestingly, I find Italy to be one of the most accommodating places to travel and eat well - Italians seem to respect food and people more than most places…
I am so intrigued by the Alplermagronen. It sounds weirdly good to me. I feel like onions and apples have an affinity, maybe that's why. Thanks for another delicious post and glimpse of the vegan Swiss life!
“Weirdly good” is an accurate statement. The carb overload in the mountains is barely noticeable and almost appreciated. The well-caramelized onions matched with the apple sauce is the star that cuts through everything. Traditional preparations have a lot of cheese thrown in, which is typically alpine!
My friend Tanya, who primarily writes about hiking in Switzerland, included a traditional recipe for this dish if you want to go all-in… https://swissfamilyfun.com/alpermagronen/
Beautiful article! I too bumped in äplemagronen and felt compelled to be writing about it. In my research for the article I discovered that it’s a direct descendant of a Mastro Martino recipe echoing the very first cacio e pepe and of course the very first Italian American MacAndCheese :)
Thanks very much for reading and contributing your thoughts and insight.
It's fascinating to learn about these historical connections! Tracing these comfort food lineages - from cacio e pepe through to Italian-American mac and cheese, all the way to the Swiss Alps - is quite interesting.
I would love to read your piece about Älplermagronen if you'd like to share a link.
Here is the link: https://open.substack.com/pub/theothergourmand/p/one-ingredient-applesauce?r=f4gtr&utm_medium=ios :) happy to contribute 🥰 and thank you for writing about this astonishing dish!
Indeed, I wouldn't associate Swiss food with vegan food, but all of these seem very good! Really liked the writing too!
Thank you very much - you are very generous with your remarks!
My partner is vegan and also tries to eat fat-free (heart condition). We have our diets figured out at home but it’s very challenging to travel. We were so grateful last night when an Italian restaurant offered to make him cavatelli with broccoli rabe and cherry tomatoes and nothing else. At home I would have put some white beans in it.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Catherine… Traveling is very difficult as a vegan is very difficult in most cases - especially for those who are driven by health concerns… I’m happy you were able to find a solution in an Italian restaurant. Interestingly, I find Italy to be one of the most accommodating places to travel and eat well - Italians seem to respect food and people more than most places…
I am so intrigued by the Alplermagronen. It sounds weirdly good to me. I feel like onions and apples have an affinity, maybe that's why. Thanks for another delicious post and glimpse of the vegan Swiss life!
“Weirdly good” is an accurate statement. The carb overload in the mountains is barely noticeable and almost appreciated. The well-caramelized onions matched with the apple sauce is the star that cuts through everything. Traditional preparations have a lot of cheese thrown in, which is typically alpine!
My friend Tanya, who primarily writes about hiking in Switzerland, included a traditional recipe for this dish if you want to go all-in… https://swissfamilyfun.com/alpermagronen/
Appreciate you my friend!