Swiss Export shopping

It is common for expats to develop quirks about favourite foods and other items from their home country. If you have ever lived abroad you know the feeling.

Strange shopping habits can be spotted before leaving home and returning to an expat destination. Our family calls it Export shopping: it results in a family shopping spree around the Coop (sometimes Migros) stacking the trolley with our favourite food which has now become our comfort food. 

These items cannot be found in the host country and may or may not have actually been part of the expats' lives in their home country but which given half a chance - and with some luck a car rather than a suitcase to fill - will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of being back home. 

A bottle of Ramseier Apfelsaft, a Branchli or a Ragusa, an Ovo crunchy spread or Champions Birchermuesli will make us feel just a little bit better when we get hit with homesickness or nostalgia. A glass of Dole Blanche or a moité-moité cheese fondue will certainly hit the spot. And nobody makes bouillon cubes like the Swiss. NeoCitran, a widely-used cold remedy, will do the job in case of sickness, and the earplugs that come in a pink box let me sleep through thick and thin. And don't get me started on the chocolate... cooking chocolate, white hot chocolate, dark powdered chocolate, marzipan chocolate tablets, nutty chocolate bars and chocolate pralines!

We LOOOVE the COOP!

Nor can we resist a Swiss bakery

Suntigszopf im Ussland

Familia Birchermüesli with Hirz Yoghurt... a champion's breakfast!

Le Chiacchiere di Carnevale... bring back sweet memories of Lugano

Ramseier or Rivella?

A typical Swiss Export shopping bag

Export Shopping

Every time we travel back from Switzerland to Paris, we go "Export shopping" to the Coop supermarket before we hit the road. Each family member is entitled to fill their basket with their favourite comfort foods. Ski break might mean a long drive to the alps but driving allows us to fill the car to the rim on our way back without worrying about overweight luggage. Trust me there was not much space left for us by the time we finished loading the car this morning...

My kids' Export shopping

 My Export shopping

For a better healthier you! 5 a Day

We've all heard about the five portions of fruits and vegetables we are suppose to eat per day to stay healthy.

Here's a little help via "5 a Day", a national health promotion campaign aimed at boosting your fruit and vegetable consumption. The objective is better health and well-being for the population of Switzerland. "5 a Day" shows you how to increase your personal consumption of fruit and vegetables – variety with a lot of fun and pleasure.

Eat five portions of vegetables and fruit every day. This depends on how you feel and without having to weigh each portion.  A portion equals about a handful of vegetables or fruit. Here’s how to determine the appropriate portion:  For children, it’s 70 gr of vegetables or 100 gr of fruit.  For adults, it’s 102 gr of vegetables or fruit. How and when the portions are eaten during the day is not as important as the versatility in choice of vegetable and fruit varieties; because in each fruit and vegetable there are a range of substances that are good for our bodies. The more colourful, the better!

Need a little help, just check out their site: 5 a Day.
The site also gives you the info for every vegetable and fruit you can find at the market.
Looking for some kids friendly explanations, click here for the Nutrition Disk or the Food Pyramid.

There's even a logo "5 a Day" that provides helpful guidance when selecting vegetables and fruit enriched products.

A fun water battle

A little video I came across by the French supermarket chain Monoprix to start the week with a smile. Maybe Coop or Migros can find some inspiriation for their next advertising campaign.

Organic food in Switzerland

"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons."
Alfred E. Newman

Switzerland lays great stress on environmentally friendly farming, although it involves greater costs.

The Swiss journal "Kultur und Politik" reported on organic farming starting in 1946. Organic food was sold directly to customers by post, to the cooperative Migros and to food-enterprises belonging to the Reform movement. During the 1960s organic-biological farming concepts spread from Switzerland to Austria and Germany.

Professional organizations concerned with extension, certification and marketing were established during the 1980's. There was an upsurge in the number of farms producing organic food in the 1990s. By 2009 some 11.1% of all farms had been awarded the organic symbol: a white bud in a green circle.

Organic farming is particularly popular in mountain areas. Figures issued by the Federal Statistical Office showed that in 2009 20% of mountain farms were organic. That year the Swiss spent 170 francs per head on organic produce, in particular vegetables, fruit and eggs.

Of all European countries Switzerland, along with Austria, has the highest proportion of usable land given over to organic farming.

In 1992 Switzerland announced that battery chicken farming was to be phased out - another world first. The addition of antibiotics to animal feed has been forbidden since 1998. Hormones are also banned. But such strict regulations put farmers under pressure when it comes to producing food at prices consumers are willing to pay.

You will find organic and natural foods products in every Swiss town. They are sold in most supermarkets and in some pharmacies. Some towns will have a natural foods store. Organic products are called "bio". The Coop stores have a selection of organic or "bio" products (called "Natura Plan"). Migros also offers bio products. You will find the bio products grouped together in each section.

Look for a "Reform Haus" sign; this means natural foods. If a  pharmacy has a sign saying "Reform Haus" or "Reform", they will have a small natural foods section.

For more detailed information go directly to the Swiss bio link here: http://www.bio-suisse.ch

The most enjoyable way to shop for healthy food, however, is to visit your local fresh food market. Most towns and villages have a weekly market selling local, seasonal farm produce, fresh fruit and vegetables and organic foods, as well as flowers. The Lugano market offers the typical food products of small farmers that sell their goods directly. It takes place every Tuesday and Friday from 8am to 12am in Piazza Riforma.

From March through June, there is a second market "contadino" at the Quartiere Maghetti of Lugano on Thursdays from 9am to 1pm selling fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese and meats from Ticino and the Grison. Check it out: www.quartieremaghetti.ch.

Following are 3 addresses of the best known Bio stores in Lugano:

Sapori Bio
salita M. e A. Chiattone 18 (behind downtown Manor)
6900 Lugano
Phone: 091 / 922 04 64

Müller Reformhaus Vital Shop AG
Quartiere Maghetti 10
6900 Lugano
Phone: 091 / 922 96 87

Bio Casa 5 Stelle SA
via Lugano 21
6982 Agno
Phone: 091 / 604 56 19

Supermarket chains in and around Lugano

The Swiss food retail market, worth CHF45bn, has long been dominated by Swiss supermarket multiples Migros and Coop. However, Switzerland’s supermarket landscape is shifting, with Coop nudging ahead of its only rival Migros for the first time. Coop together with Migros account for about 70 per cent of the market share for food and drinks in Switzerland.

The arrival of the German budget retailers Aldi and Lidl – in 2005 and 2009 respectively – “shook up” the Swiss food business. Coop and Migros reacted by introducing cheap and premium lines.

At Coop you'll spot products with the logos "Coop Qualité et Prix" and pink label "Prix Garantie".  Migros has its "M-Budget" brand, which can be recognized by the green-white packaging and the orange Migros logo.

"Coop-at-home" and "Migros Le Shop" also offer an online service, although I have not tested it myself and therefore cannot guarantee for its effectiveness.

Hereafter you'll find a list of the five biggest supermarket chains in Ticino.
Coop: http://www.coop.ch/
Migros: http://www.migros.ch/it
Manor: http://www.manor.ch/
Denner: http://www.denner.ch/it/
Aldi: http://www.aldi-suisse.ch/index_ITA_HTML.htm

The Italian supermarket Bennet just across the border in Italy (Via Asiago 40, 22100 Como) is worth shopping for typical Italian products like Parmeggiano cheese, Mozzarella, Focaccia, Barilla pasta, Kinder brioche. Don't forget to take a break and enjoy a real cup of Cappuccino. I don't know how the Italians do it but their coffee just tastes so much better even if it is only 15 minutes down the road from Lugano.


Happy Shopping!!!

Nanomania continues online

We have finally come to an end of the Naomania follie at Migros and my daughter has not even bothered to take them to school anymore stating that no one else is bringing them either, therefore she cannot swap hers. Is it really all over with one single woshhhhhhhhh?!?

Migros hit the last straw when the largest store in Lugano completely run out of Nanos a week before the promotion ended. Back from our skiing vacation my daughter dragged me straight to Migros to stock up our fridge and receive some last Nanos missing from her collection. Arrived at the cash register the lady very kindly told us to get lost (more or less) when we asked for our 10 well-deserved Nanos!!!!! She seemed happier about the end of the Nanomania promotion than alot of the mummies I have seen.

BUT alas...................it is not all over yet.

Having logged on to www.ricardo.ch, Switzerland's local version of e-bay, there are 6244 Nano offers while I am writing this post!!!! The special edition "Luxibus" is going for CHF 32.- with 84 bids, please someone pinch me fast!

If Coop had its act together this would be the PERFECT moment to launch a counter attack........

Rainy day activity for your kids

Tuesday, March 15th is the deadline of Coop's drawing contest "My Switzerland - as seen through the eyes of children". Download the booklet here and have your kids participate. Given the weather today, this seems like a good idea to me.

Ever wondered how the "little ones" perceive Swiss traditions? Do stereotypes such as chocolate and watches still persist? It is for children to say! Coop is searching for answers. All children - ages 5 to 11 - living in Switzerland are invited to create a design for the next Coop milk carton and to participate in the second major design competition organized by Coop.

Of all the works received,  a panel of experts will select 20 designs that will be published in Coop's weekly newspaper. An online vote at www.coop.ch/latte will designate the six most beautiful designs on the theme "This is typically Swiss", which will be printed on the packaging of 1 million UHT milk & Coop Qualité Prix for sale in the summer of 2011 throughout Switzerland.

Not only glory await the six lucky winners, but also a nice prize: a vacation for everyone at a family farm. The 14 second-placed children win an adventurous night in the hay with their family, including breakfast, on a farm of their choice.

Here's how it works: 

Just arm yourself with brush, crayons or markers, and unleash creativity by drawing a "oeuvre d'art" with the "Switzerland and its traditions" theme. 

Important: The drawing should not to be larger than 14 x 14 centimeters!

You will find a booklet in all Coop stores with a sample square of the right size and all information related to the competition or else download here. 

The masterpieces are to be sent in a stamped envelope with the form completely filled out and signed by the parents no later than March 15, 2011 to: 

COOP - Redazione Cooperazione

Concorso Latte

PO Box 2550

Basel 4002

"My Switzerland" - put your drawing on 1 million Coop milk cartons this summer

Participate in Coop's drawing contest "My Switzerland - as seen through the eyes of children"...and make them forget those Nanos for a while!!!!!

Ever wondered how the "little ones" perceive Swiss traditions? Do stereotypes such as chocolate and watches still persist? It is for children to say! Coop is searching for answers. All children - ages 5 to 11 - living in Switzerland are invited to create a design for the next Coop milk carton and to participate in the second major design competition organized by Coop.

Of all the works received,  a panel of experts will select 20 designs that will be published in Coop's weekly newspaper. An online vote at www.coop.ch/latte will designate the six most beautiful designs on the theme "This is typically Swiss", which will be printed on the packaging of 1 million UHT milk & Coop Qualité Prix for sale in the summer of 2011 throughout Switzerland.

Not only glory await the six lucky winners, but also a nice prize: a vacation for everyone at a family farm. The 14 second-placed children win an adventurous night in the hay with their family, including breakfast, on a farm of their choice.

Here's how it works: 

Just arm yourself with brush, crayons or markers, and unleash creativity by drawing a "oeuvre d'art" with the "Switzerland and its traditions" theme. 

Important: The drawing should not to be larger than 14 x 14 centimeters!

You will find a booklet in all Coop stores with a sample square of the right size and all information related to the competition or else download here. 

The masterpieces are to be sent in a stamped envelope with the form completely filled out and signed by the parents no later than March 15, 2011 to: 

COOP - Redazione Cooperazione

Concorso Latte

PO Box 2550

Basel 4002