On our first night in Switzerland, our hosts took us out to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant in their small village (pop. 2000). My colleagues were drinking beer, so out of habit I asked my host to order a dark beer for me. As soon as I had spoken the words I wondered what I was getting myself into by ordering “dunkel bier” in Switzerland.
When the waitress poured the beer into my glass, I was relieved to see that it had a deep caramel color instead of the black-Guinness color I was afraid of.
It had a smooth, rich flavor that went nicely with our dinner of “traditional” Swiss fondue–a big basket of bread cubes and a big pot of melted cheese. 😀 The alcohol content probably was pretty high–or it just hit me hard because of my jet lag.
When I was on my own a few nights later, I asked the waiter about this beer on the menu. He confirmed that it was a dark beer, and seemed surprised when I ordered it knowing that–maybe he expected an American woman to prefer a lighter beer!
(Not the best pour!)
The label proclaims that this is an “authentic Belgian Abbey beer” with a “sweet caramel yet bitter taste.” It does have a bit of a bite, but it went well with the pumpkin soup (topped with foamed milk) with truffle ravioli (on the side) that I ordered for dinner.
When I got home, I was surprised to see Leffe at the grocery store! Of course I bought some to enjoy at home.
Are you wary of ordering unfamiliar foods in foreign countries, or are you more adventurous?
Do you have a good broth-based pumpkin soup recipe?
shoot
see?
now Im distracted. IT IS WEDNESDAY isnt it?!
i've never traveled out of the country (well, i went to canada but that's as far as i got lol)… i think if i did go though i would try a little bit of everything! 🙂
yum! i'm a big fan of dark beers – and am totally an adventurous eater/drinker when traveling. does the leffe taste as good in the us as it did in switzerland?
Maybe not quite as good as when it was served in the bar of a luxury hotel, but I'm pretty sure it is the same. :-)Sent from my iPhone
Mmmm I love Leffe! They have a blonde version too, which is quite good! And now that I'm drooling over the thought of fondue, I think I'm gonna have to make some soon! Maybe I'll pair it with a dunkel! Thanks for linking up!