Berner Platte

The Berner Platte, meaning Bernese plate in English, is a traditional meat dish of Bernese cuisine in Switzerland. It brings together several kinds of meat and sausage, such as smoked pork and beef, pork belly, bacon and pork ears or tails, cooked alongside juniper-flavoured sauerkraut and other foods such as potatoes and green or dried beans, all served on one large plate. It is not a stew: each meat and side dish is prepared or cooked separately and only brought together on the platter, and it is sometimes served as part of a buffet. According to the account of its origin, the dish dates from 5 March 1798, when the Bernese defeated the French army at the Battle of Neuenegg and returned as victors. A celebration had to be organised at very short notice, the community gave its best supplies, and because the winters had been late mainly durable and preserved foods were combined to make the dish.