Graubunden with St. Moritz Restaurants

With its myriad dialects and potent blend of Latin and German blood, this region's cuisine is as novel and unexpected as its culture. The Graubünden idea of fast food is a salsiz (a kind of small, rectangular-shape salami) and a piece of bread.

Originating in isolated rural areas, food here is earthy and direct: the staples are sausages, potatoes, and cheese, and dishes are often heartily flavored with onions, bacon, and dried fruits. You may feel you've stepped back into the Middle Ages when you sit down to pizzoccheri neri (buckwheat noodles with greens and potatoes, swimming in garlic butter and melted cheese) or to maluns (grated potatoes stirred in pools of butter until they form crisp balls) served with tart applesauce.

Italian influence is strong here, but unlike the Ticinese to the southwest, who borrow from Italy wholesale, the Graubündners have evolved their own versions and incorporate Germanic styles as well. Takeoffs on gnocchi (potato-based pasta) and Spätzli (tiny flour dumplings) coexist here, with relatives of Rösti (hash brown potatoes), risotto, and polenta asserting their own local flavors.

Other regional specialties include the ubiquitous Bündnerfleisch (air-dried beef pressed into rectangular loaves and shaved into translucent slices), the Bündnerplatte (a plate of cured meats), Gerstensuppe (barley soup), and Nusstorte (a kind of shortbread with a chewy walnut-and-caramel filling).

In resorts many restaurants close from the end of April to mid-June and October to December; if you plan a visit in the off-season, check in advance.

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