Swiss Bircher Muesli (by a Swede)

I am finally sharing with the world one of my absolute favorite breakfast dishes: Bircher Muesli (or Birchermüesli as it's spelled in Swiss German – which is an Alemannic diminutive of Mues (non-Swiss Standard German: Mus), meaning "mush" or "purée"). 

Caroline suggested we'd share milk themed dishes this week, and since my Bircher Muesli includes milk as well as other dairy products, I thought it was a very fitting recipe. It's also always fun to teach (or should I say "tease"...) my half-Swiss friend Pia how to make a traditional Swiss dish. What can I say, it usually takes a Swede to perfect a foreign dish. Go Sweden! 😂

The first time I ever tried Bircher Muesli was 14 years ago in Seoul, South Korea out of all places! I was based out of Hong Kong working for a brand consultancy at the time and my main clients were Korean, so I had to travel there quite a lot. And honestly, what really made each stay in Seoul great (besides the Korean food of course) was this awesome Bircher Muesli served at the super fancy Grand Hyatt Hotel where we always stayed. I became obsessed with this wholesome, nutritious dish. FYI, another super fancy hotel that has a great Bircher Muesli recipe is Hotel Wanda Reign on the Bund in Shanghai. So a shout-out to those two hotels and their chefs. 👏

So what is Bircher Muesli?  It is basically a cold oatmeal dish based on rolled oats and ingredients such as grains, nuts, seeds, apples and other fresh or dried fruits. This mix may be combined with one or more liquids such as water, milk, plant milks, yogurt, or fruit juice and left for a time to soften the oats before being consumed. It was developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. It was inspired by a similar "strange dish" that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. It is now eaten as a standard breakfast dish, and also in Switzerland as a supper called Birchermüesli complet: muesli with "Café Complet" (milk coffee, accompanied with bread, butter, and jam). 

After years of researching many recipes on the Internet and receiving tips from chefs, as well as a Swiss-Turkish friend of mine here in Lisbon, I have come up with my own "perfect version" of Bircher Muesli. I hope you enjoy it, and if you have any tips on how to further perfect it, please let me know!

Enjoy! 

💗Helena 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of quick oats
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 2 cups of fresh milk 
• 1 cup plain, natural yoghurt
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 cup currants (a small "raisin", also called Corinthians or Zante currants)
• 1-2 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons almonds, slivered
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons liquid honey (depending on how sweet you want it to be) 
  
  
  
  
  

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover with a lid or plastic film. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Chill in refrigerator overnight.
3. Next morning, serve as is or with your favorite fruits as topping – e.g., cut up strawberries, sliced banana, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries or cranberries.