uniquely swiss

January 3, 2006 8:50 PM

My friend is traveling to Switzerland for a week and asked if I wanted anything from there. What is something that is uniquely Swiss that I can't readily get myself, and wouldn't be a hassle to take through customs?
posted by ding3r to shopping (18 comments total)

Chocolate and Cheese!

(And if you consume both at the same time, you must listen to the album (image mnsfw))
posted by Hankins at 9:16 PM on January 3, 2006

Milk Chocolate - I never knew milk chocolate could taste so good until I had it in Switzerland.

Absinthe - technically you probably are not allowed to bring it back, but as long as you only have one bottle of hooch, and you declare it you should pass on through without a glitch. At worst, you will lose the liquor.
posted by caddis at 9:22 PM on January 3, 2006

I recently got rather blotto on Absinth.

Wonderful stuff.

Had an entire party of guys singing Rage Aginst The machine songs in the style of Bob Dylan.

You had to be there....
posted by gergtreble at 9:45 PM on January 3, 2006

Milka chocolate! Seriously, I'm going there next week, and that's what people have asked me to bring back.
posted by djgh at 10:03 PM on January 3, 2006

Milk chocolate??!!? For FSM's sake, what a wasted opportunity. Ask for Frey's dark chocolate with lemon zest and black pepper, which I hope is still available in any large Migros.

Also, if he's going to Geneva, the best truffle place (after grueling experimentation) is Le Bonbonierre. Get many, many rum ones, and lavender, and geranium, and sesame, ... maybe not sesame
posted by Aknaton at 10:27 PM on January 3, 2006

Caillers Cremant chocolate bars (see this question). About two thirds dark and one third milk chocolate, and so smooooooth.
posted by letitrain at 10:55 PM on January 3, 2006

I know a few people who are quite mad for this chocolate, but I don't know from first hand experience. Enjoy your trip regardless!
posted by Space Kitty at 11:30 PM on January 3, 2006

(er, gift)
posted by Space Kitty at 11:30 PM on January 3, 2006

Chocolates? Bleh... OP was asking for something uniquely Swiss! :)

Ask for some Willisauer Ringli (thin, hard cookies, perfect for dunking in tea), or Basler Leckerli (soft, almost-cake-like cookies)
posted by slater at 12:44 AM on January 4, 2006

Have them smuggle in a nice block of gruyere cheese in genuine non-pasteurized form.

Swiss chocolate is way over-rated. They are every man's "best chocolate". The real best is from Belgium. But sometimes, it's simply a matter of what praline you like best, and they do some very nice stuff.
posted by Goofyy at 1:55 AM on January 4, 2006

Chocolate? Pah.

Get a Cows Bell. :)
posted by DrtyBlvd at 2:50 AM on January 4, 2006

One of those St. Bernard dog cuddle toys with a barrel of rum around his neck. Extra tacky points if the Swiss flag is on the barrel.
posted by kudzu at 3:00 AM on January 4, 2006

I concur on Absinthe. Really good stuff.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 3:50 AM on January 4, 2006

Chocolates? Bleh... OP was asking for something uniquely Swiss! :)

When you try real Swiss milk chocolate you will change that tune. No other milk chocolate compares. It is not as intense as a nice dark Belgian chocolate, but incredible in its own way.
posted by caddis at 4:35 AM on January 4, 2006

If your baggage allows it buy one of these, available in every department store. You can find recipes (for the cheese mixture) on the web.
There also are some good Swiss wines you might want to bring back.
posted by Lornoi at 7:12 AM on January 4, 2006

Jewish gold.


(Absinthe is the #1 answer).
posted by klangklangston at 11:52 AM on January 5, 2006

caddis: I've lived in Switzerland all my life. I've had the odd swiss chocolate ;)
posted by slater at 10:26 PM on January 7, 2006

I've had the odd swiss chocolate ;)

So you've had the sesame truffles, then? They're definitely the odd one.
posted by Aknaton at 7:47 AM on January 8, 2006