Dominate Cultural Patterns of Switzerland Essay Sample
Switzerland, scattered with rich flat grasslands, fresh-water lakes, and alpine hills, provides for a diverse selection of agriculture and therefore culinary miscellany. In the western, French half, of Switzerland the land is scattered with meadows, pastures, and farms helping to allow citizens to have a semi self-sustainable food source that accommodates their individual tastes. Not unlike the United States, Switzerland is a hub for international imports, however, the flavors of their cuisine are akin to the fruit of their land.
While the average meal in the United States is typically extravagant and significantly influenced by international cultures, Swiss meals remain simple and nutritious while still also allowing the influence of their neighbors. Despite common stereotypes, American meals tend to be generally nutritionally balanced and diverse in food groups , with a mixture of local and imported ingredients as well as varieties of strong flavors from all over the world. In Switzerland meals are often deemed “plain”, very contrasting to American meals, with most dishes being prepared using popular local ingredients such as dairy products, especially fine cheeses, radishes, cabbages, tomatoes, potatoes, and alpine garlic. Swiss meals typically have very few extravagant spices, limiting most seasoning to garlic, thyme, rosemary and other organic spices they can grow on their own land.
Generally speaking, the United States has cultural influence from almost all regions of the world especially from Central and South America, Asia, Europe, and many other regions due to immigration and trade according to a blog post from the International Organization of Migrations (Kinney). Cultural influence mostly manifests in the types of spices often used in American meals like pure vanilla, cumin, paprika, ginger, star anise, and many more.
In Switzerland, most cultural influence is taken from other European countries, specifically those surrounding them. While the western half of Switzerland is influenced predominantly by French culture and takes inspiration from dishes like fondue and raclette, the eastern half is largely influenced by German culture. Some of the most popular Swiss dishes represent this influence, fondue for example, one of the most popular dishes in Switzerland takes great influence from the fine cheeses used in France. Another dish, gigot d’agneau (roasted Lamb), is served popularly during Easter similar to the French tradition of eating lamb for easter. Swiss dishes typically stick to a particular flavor palette seen across eastern Europe and don’t usually stray far from it, rarely experimenting with flavors from different areas of the world.
Table manners used in French speaking Switzerland are very similar to those used in the United States (Ohaeri). Children are expected to wash their hands before the meal, don’t waste food, do not put elbows on the table, and always say please and thank you. Any variations in table manners from those of American table manners are typically French in origin, with place setting being very similar as well as etiquette with cutlery. Unlike American culture, where the host is typically the “Head of the Table” and sits at the end, in Switzerland the place of honor is in the middle of the table surrounded by company.
Overall, Switzerland has a very contrasting food culture then that of the United States, not only because of social preference but economic and agricultural limits. While both countries are advanced and use international exports as a resource, they are able to maintain individuality in spite of international influence.
