Spring Has Arrived in Switzerland

Spring has arrived in Switzerland. Many people think of Switzerland as a very cold country, but unless you head into the mountains, walking through snow isn’t something we experience in everyday life.

Why does the arrival of spring make me so happy?

This is the season when Bärlauch (wild garlic), a herb similar to what is known in Japan as gyōja-ninniku, begins to appear everywhere. Of course, you can also find it in supermarkets, but this is the time of year when you can simply spot it while walking and bring some home.

It is mainly used as an aromatic herb, and in Switzerland it is commonly enjoyed as Bärlauch butter or in pesto. Personally, I like to add it to dishes such as garlic chive omelette or pork kimchi.

Bärlauch is a perfect ingredient for seasonal spring menus, but there is another spring delicacy that takes over the vegetable section of supermarkets at this time of year.

Spring Seasonal Menu in Switzerland

This is also the time of year when you start seeing special asparagus menus at restaurants. I also like to make white asparagus risotto at home.

Although I call it risotto, the ingredients are quite simple:

• White asparagus – whatever is left over

• Rice – about half a cup (one serving)

• Onion – half

• Salt and pepper – to taste

• Butter – to taste

• Aonori (dried green seaweed) – three pinches

• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon

• Parmesan cheese – to taste

• Saffron – optional

As you can see, the finishing touch is aonori, a very Japanese ingredient that gives this risotto its own unique twist.

But the Joy Didn’t Last Long

Just as I was happily thinking that spring had finally arrived, my eldest son said to me this morning…

“Mom, are you working this Saturday?”

For a moment, I felt a little happy, wondering if my 18-year-old son wanted to go somewhere together.

“The high on Saturday will drop back to 8°C.”

And just like that. When it comes to the weather, I had a feeling this would happen. Just when you think spring has arrived, it turns cold again. It’s the same almost every year. It reminded me of all the times my balcony herb gardening had failed in the past.

Wait Until May for Herbs

In Switzerland, when the season arrives, you can buy herbs in pots at supermarkets. As someone who loves herbs, I tend to grab them the moment I see those little pots. But almost every year, a sudden drop in temperature would leave the freshly planted herbs looking weak and unhappy.

After several years of trial and error, I realized that May is the best time. So now, until May arrives, I simply buy cut herbs instead of planting them.

When I think about it now, learning the rhythm of the seasons in Switzerland little by little has been a good experience in its own way.

When you start to feel the signs of spring, it makes you want to begin many things. But nature seems to move more slowly than our feelings. Just when it starts to feel warm, the temperature drops again, almost as if nature is saying, “Not yet.”

Still, when you walk along the streets and catch the scent of Bärlauch, or see asparagus dishes appearing on restaurant menus, those small changes make you realize that spring has truly arrived.

Spring in Switzerland doesn’t arrive all at once like it does in Japan. Instead, it comes and goes, slowly moving forward little by little.

Perhaps that’s why, every time I come across these short-lived spring ingredients, I feel happy knowing that this season has come around once again.

And this year, I’m sure I’ll end up bringing home Bärlauch again whenever I find it. Even if I don’t spot it along the way, it’s definitely something I can’t resist buying at the supermarket.

As I write this, an idea suddenly popped into my head — Bärlauch × shio-koji.

Bärlauch with shio-koji… I think I’ll have to try that sometime soon.