In Conversation with Swiss Chef Ralph Schelling

What Swiss cooking can borrow from Japan, Uva Americana, and more

Anyone who knows me knows that I could talk about food for … hours. So when I was thinking about whom to interview next, I selfishly picked Ralph Schelling, a young Swiss celebrity chef. Alexandra and I discovered Ralph through his column at Monocle Magazine and look forward to his recipes that regularly appear in Monocle’s weekend newsletters. A few favorites are his carrot cake, cornbread with gruyere, and baked plums with orange and mascarpone ginger crunch.

Ralph Schelling. photos by Joel Junn

Ralph’s official bio captures the breadth of his culinary abilities, from working with Horst Petermann in the Küsnacht Kunststuben and Andreas Caminada’s team at Schloss Schauenstein, to stints at El Bulli in Spain and Ryugin in Tokyo. His connection to food and cooking started so young that when he was eight-years old and in the Swiss equivalent of the Boy Scouts, he was given the nickname “Moulinex,” after the food chopping appliance, and worked in the troupe’s kitchen.

Some of Ralph's recipes for Monocle: https://ralphschelling.com/

Going into the conversation, I was eager to hear his perspective on Swiss culinary traditions and how those traditions might be changing. “Switzerland is not anymore but we were very poor, and a lot of our food is potatoes and cheese – heavy food.” He went on to say that while Switzerland has changed economically, the food has been consistent. There’s room for innovation – his gnocchis are made with “mountain potatoes” and his fondue with leeks sounds outrageously delicious – but the heart of these dishes is still simplicity.