Swiss food is precise, seasonal, and considerably better than the fondue-and-rösti summary allows. Raclette — a half-wheel of Raclette cheese melted before a flame and scraped onto boiled potatoes with cornichons and pickled onions — is the Swiss meal that the fondue tradition overshadows but which locals prefer for its simplicity. Bircher Muesli (raw oats soaked overnight in milk, with grated apple, lemon juice, condensed milk, and nuts) was invented by Dr. Bircher-Benner in Zurich in 1900 and is still the Swiss breakfast in every form from hospital nutrition to restaurant service. Bündnerfleisch (air-dried beef from the Graubünden canton, sliced paper-thin, concentrated and chewy) and the Zuger Kirschtorte (cherry schnapps-soaked nut cake) represent the regional food identity that 26 cantons produce in 26 different directions. Swiss chocolate (Lindt, Callier, and the craft makers of Lausanne and Zurich) remains the world standard for milk chocolate. Rivella (a Swiss soft drink made with milk whey) and Feldschlösschen beer are the specific Swiss beverages that visitors don't expect to encounter and find themselves returning to. It really hits differently.