One thing I have to say is that the food is way too greasy, German style, schnitzel and wurst. Second, they have no imagination. I mean where are the salt and vinegar chips or sour cream and onion, and does anyone know if they have REAL French dressing? The kind that is orange. Do they have wine coolers too? FOr a country with a lot of alcohol choices, I haven´t found anything I like but the Weiss bier.

yes, the weissbier is nice. If you like that, try and find Leffe Blond (light ale) or Leffe Brun (dark). They are expensive at 2.40 a bottle but maybe try one as a treat. I saw them at Coop I think, and they are famous Belgian beers.

About food, I actually think the labels are not always correct, and I think Migros/Coop do it on purpose.

Ever had a Rosti from them? It says 4 grams per 100 gr of fat, well heat it up without oil in a pan and you will see what I mean. Fat dripping out of it everywhere.

Yet the Swiss have a very good heart disease profile. Now isn't that strange? (Consider also that most dairy is still full fat here, or hardly reduced at all).

man - don't even get me started on this, otherwise we'll end up straight into the complaint corner...

I find food here is generally a disaster. Seems as people here don't have any interest for what they eat. They just eat to feed themselves. Restaurants are (most cases) super boring and have the same menues for ages!!! I rarely get surprised when I go to a restaurant here. And I'm not talking about the service...

Supermarkets??? Everytime I walk into one and go through the fruits and vegetable section I get depressed. The qualiy of the stuff is mediocre, but just the way food is deplayed generally is not at all appealing.

I could go on and on but it's Saturday, and I'm in no mood for complaint...

Tex

I think the fruit and veg here is amazing, compared to UK standards, i agree there is a lack of other items but not on the fruit and veg front, much more choice and generally better quality than I am used to

I've had this sketch before with friends about fresh veg etc.
It seems to vary across individual stores - our Migros in Kloten has quite good stuff

I'm not sure why this thread was started in off topic. It seems to be that it is about Switzerland, and it is a complaint - therefore the logical place for it would be the complaints corner, so I am moving it now.

Agree re the fruit and vegies. Many third world countries have a higher standard of fruit of veg in their supermarkets...

we have fabulous local veg and fruit, particularly in the summer months, on our local markets - it's one advantage to living in the sticks.

Does anyone know why the low choices on chips? Do the Swiss just plain have no imagination?

Probably...

Re vege and friuts - glad some of you have positive experiences... because I know A LOT of people who have not! Based on my (limited) knowledge of the UK, I'd say any Tesco in London has better fruits and vegies than here...

I don't buy much in the supermarkets - I tend to buy from the markets or the farms. The summers make the winters worthwhile - I get very bored with apples by the end of the winter but all the wonderful berries that are around at the moment are fab. I think Tesco and the other big supermarkets tend to give us unrealistic expectations. I appreciate that I may be out of step with some people on this.

I've got this guy who (sessionally) pulls up in front of my flat in a tractor every Saturday with fresh fruits and veggies. I also find a wide difference in the quality of the produce depending on day of week. Monday is terrible.

you guys are lucky!!! Wish I had access to a farm too. Though I guess not much use when it comes to tropical stuff, but at least you get your rucola and tomatos alright!

You do have access to all of the wonderful fruits, vegetables, meats, pastas, etc. Just visit one of the markets in your area. Here's a link with a list of most of the major markets throughout Switzerland - follow the path to market locations: http://laughinglemon.ch/en/reference.htm

happy shopping!
Jack

...or at their stalls, like on Adderly St, Cape Town outside Woolworths...those guys had the best fruit and veg.

Consumers in Switzerland seem to be very conservative. They don't usually accept new products quickly, unless they are persuaded by a very good PR campaign.

Crisps are a case in point: Paprika and Natur are pretty much the only two widely available flavours. Other flavours either haven't caught on or haven't been introduced. However, I know that when I get salt and vinegar or cheese and onion crisps in 'English' pubs and offer them to Swiss friends, they love the taste.

Gav

Another reason products don't find there way into the Swiss market is because of the rather strict labeling laws. It costs a producer quite a bit to create a label in two or three languages for such a small market, and there are certain other declaration laws in Switzerland which are different than the EU countries...some of these declarations are not always a top priority of food producers....
jm

That was actually the third world country I was referring to

Still no word on French dressing. Anyone know how to make it at least? I can not eat salad with out it or blue cheese, I do not like any of the swiss salad dressings, but I need to eat my vegtables.

Quick French Dressing

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 2/3 cup salad oil

Combine all ingredients and shake well in a covered jar. Shake well before using and store in refrigerator. Makes about 1 cup of salad dressing.

I was in a large city Migros today and they had over 15 crisp flavours. No sour cream yet but bbq, mexican, vinegar, and loads of others. Perhaps check it out.

Plus, you can access the internet right; you will be amazed at how many recipes you can find online. Very handy. Start at http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ where you can input the foods you would like and it builds one for you.