When I moved to Switzerland, the pre-dawn start for Basel’s carnival struck me as pretty extreme. For the Bernese, Zibelmärit, the annual Onion Market opens early, too. Tom and I arrived at the market just before 6:00 am to find revelers tucking into cheese fondue, washed down with black tea and white wine. Onion market stalls in the Old Town were already open for business.
Martinmas beginnings
For centuries, Martinmas, or Saint Martin’s Day, began on November 11th. Folks from the countryside around Bern celebrated the completion of preparations for winter: crops were in, and produce was preserved or stored for the long, cold months ahead. Eventually, farmers from Fribourg brought vegetables to sell in Bern. By the late 19th century, Zibelmärit had become a one-day event to open the fair. Onions took center place, but other produce—endives, leeks, celeriac, and black salsify; and chestnuts, nuts, and fruit—were also on offer.
Today, only the first day of the Martinmas Fair remains, rescheduled to the fourth Tuesday of November. Zibelmärit, held in Switzerland’s de facto federal capital, offers decorative and culinary onions, along with much more. The market, centered around the Bundesplatz, or Parliament Square, and the streets leading to the train station, is one of Switzerland’s most important customs.
Onions first and foremost
Onions, in all their garlanded glory, are the basis for Bern’s Zibelmärit. The braids are colorful and pretty to look at in your kitchen, dangling amongst the pots and pans, and they keep for weeks, if not months. And of course, they are food!
Market stalls sell onion pies, individual and family-sized, and onion pizza by the slice. In tandem with the market, Old Town restaurants serve an array of onion-based dishes, from soup to sausage platters, all accompanied by warming mugs of Glühwein.
A walk around the market offers a taste of some of Switzerland’s iconic festival foods. While the onion remains the star of the market, other regional products share the limelight. The market that began with fresh produce from the Fribourg region now presents food products from around Switzerland. There is risotto and wine from Ticino, as well as grappa-laced coffee, and all sorts of candies and cookies.
Savory options
It wouldn’t be a Swiss market without cheese, and several stalls offer Gruyère, Etivaz, and other notable cheeses. Jars of pumpkin chutney, onion relish, and other spreads are excellent on slices of toasted bread or as accompaniments to cheeses and wintertime vegetable soups.
Several foods that caught my eye:
- Berner rösti, which adds bacon to the classic Swiss potato dish.
- Chnoblibrot, or garlic bread, is a popular walk-around pleasure at the market. To take home: heads of garlic, hung with onions on wreaths, or in garlic bundles. To sample and buy in bulk: garlic cloves peeled and doused with herbs or harissa.
- All manner of sausages, from around Switzerland.
- Horsemeat preparations, including sausages, as well as butcher cuts for steak and sauerbraten, tempt the adventurous carnivore.
The market’s sweet treats
Colored candy chains are sold as alternatives to onion braids and make edible souvenirs. Apfelchüechli, apple fritters served with vanilla sauce or cinnamon and sugar, fresh from the fryer, are purpose-built for strolling through the market.
Several types of biscuits are popularZibelmärit items:
- Mandelbärli, Bern’s signature confectionery made of almonds in the shape of a bear
- Meitschibei, horseshoe-shaped Bernese pastries filled with sweetened hazelnuts.
- Magenbrot, bites of gingerbread, slightly sticky on the crinkled outside, firm and spicy inside
- Not a biscuit, but just as beloved: Swiss caramels, called Nidletäfeli, Pain d’épices and nougat, with flavorings, such as almond with cranberries, added in.
Other stands sell teas and syrups, as well as herbal and floral reductions in many flavors (I’m not sure exactly what might be in the brightly hued bottles of “Feel-like-a-bird syrup” or the “Syrup of magic fire”).
Something for the commuter
Zibelmärit takes place on a workday, and market fare, from pies to sweets, is readily available in the Bern train station. At lunchtime, stands set up inside the station sell raclette for takeout, serving plates of melted cheese with the traditional fixings: brown bread, gherkins, and pickled onions.
A living tradition
Zibelmärit is undoubtedly not the only way to sample the foodways of central Switzerland, but it’s a great start. The market has been named to the list of The Living Traditions of Switzerland, and food—not just onions—is a big part of that.
Any time of year
The Onion Market may be a one-day affair, but we have found dining in Bern’s Old Town to be a delicious way to explore traditional Bernese foodways year-round. Here are five restaurants that showcase traditional food culture with Bern’s UNESCO-listed urban planning and architecture:
Kornhauskeller—One of two restaurants in the city’s former granary, the restaurant offers a wide selection of Swiss dishes, including Berner Geschnetzeltes, veal with mushrooms in cream sauce. Called the Chübu, or the bucket by locals, this 18th-century gem also houses a library and the Kornhausforum museum.
Della Casa—Swiss politicians have been served by the restaurant since 1892. The restaurant near the Federal Parliament Building specializes in hearty traditional dishes such as Cordon bleu, Berner Teller (a Bernese meat platter), and veal liver with Rösti.
Altes Tramdepot Brauerei & Restaurant—This restaurant in a 19th-century tram depot brews lager, amber, and wheat beer in copper vats behind the bar. Filling dishes include cordon bleu, Weisswurst, and warm pretzels filled with ham, plus a few vegetarian dishes. Its outdoor beer garden overlooks the Altstadt.
Klösterli Weincafé—This wine bar is located in a building first licensed as a tavern in the 17th century. Today, the restaurant serves creatively reimagined classics along with an extensive wine selection.
