Wähe

The Wähe is likely to have originated in central Switzerland. The first documented mention of the term "wäye" dates back to 1556 when it was described as a bun or cake in a lexicon from the Zurich area. The Wähe was first created in home baking and, according to Albert Spycher, it was made with the dough leftovers from bread-baking. The scraps of bread dough were rolled out into round flat cakes, the edges of which had to be raised and pressed together to prevent the topping from leaking out. They were topped with all those ingredients that were readily available at home. Since both fruits and vegetables were suitable ingredients, it is rather difficult to separate the story of the savoury Wähe from the sweet version.[1]

However, the Wähe did not remain just poor man´s food, it also became very popular with the middle-class. The recipe for an "apple Dünne" can be found in "The Cook Book of Catharina Fehr" (1824), which was widespread among the bourgeoisie. According to this recipe you need butter pastry, sliced apples, and a sauce made of flour, wine, sugar and raisins. Since the 19th century the Wähe has also been prepared in industrial bakeries.

Originally, the Wähe was a food eaten during fasting in the Catholic parts of Switzerland, particularly in the East. On the other hand, it was a festive dish in the Protestant areas, above all in the West. In some regions (Freiburg and Waadtland) the Wähe was usually eaten on Friday, when meat was not allowed. Even today, many bakeries offer the Wähe only on Friday because of this tradition. In the mountain regions, the Wähe has been known only since the early 20th century, probably because there ovens were very rare. In the alpine regions, given the prevailing livestock and milk production were prepared mainly Wähe with cheese and cream. The variety with fruit was the most common in the fruit-growing areas of the rural regions. Today both sweet and savoury Wähe are baked in every regions.[1]

The following words are used as partial synonyms for the 'Wähe'. This, however, does not mean that each specific variety is baked according to the same recipe, because many names have a broader meaning that can refer to other kinds of cakes too. For each region there is an individual recipe and dialect name for the Wähe.

• 'Wäje' has spread from the northwest of (Basel) to the southeast and continues to spread from Zürich onwards. The term is also used in Baden in Germany and in the southern part of Elsass. Apart from 'Chueche' it is the most widely used term for this way of preparing a Wähe. 'Wäje' is an old Swabian-Alemannic word that, according to Albert Spycher, a folklorist from Basel, might come from one of the mittelhochdeutschen words 'waehe', meaning something artistic; 'wîhen', meaning something blessed or holy; or 'waejen', which means the blowing of the wind.[2][3]
• Around Bern, Freiburg, south of Luzern, south of Schwyz, Unterwalden, Uri, Wallis and Zug the Wähe is known as 'Chueche'. In other regions 'Chueche' can mean sweet baked goods in general or is equivalent to the standard German term for cake. The word 'Chueche' dates back to the althochdeutsch word 'kuohho' that is also related to the English word cake.[3]
• A 'Flade' is a Wähe in the cantons Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and east of St. Gallen. It has an Indo-Germanic root that means 'to expand' and was used from early on as a term for flat baked goods.[3]
• In Schaffhausen and Thurgauand in some parts south of Lake Zurich in the cantons Schwyz and Zürich, a Wähe is known as 'Tünne', 'Tünnele' or the short form 'Tüle'. This regional connection indicates that it was used as such in a larger region. 'Dünne', 'Dünnele' and 'Dünnet' are the words on the German side of the Rhein and the Bodensee for Wähe. These words are derived from the adjective 'dünn' (thin). Flat cakes were in fact called 'dunni' in Old High German.[3]
• In the canton of Graubünden the 'Wähe' is called «Turte». «Turte» either developed from the Italian word «torta», the French word «tourte» or the Romansh word «tuorta». Additionally, the Wähe is also called «Pitte», which comes from the rätoromanisch «pitta» (flat bread cake) and was provisionally used for the at first relatively unknown but similar Wähe.[3]

In French speaking Switzerland the cake similar to a Wähe is called a «tarte», in Italian speaking Switzerland a «torta» or «crostata», in Romansh a «tuorta».

The Zibelemärit (Onion market) in Bern traditionally goes with a Zwiebelkuchen for dinner.

The Basle Fastenwähe is made with a salty yeast-dough sprinkled with caraway and looks quite like a pretzel. Other than the name these Fastenwähen have nearly nothing in common with the usual Wähe.

• Quiche: French name for the same type of baking. To be precise it actually only refers to the Quiche Lorraine (also called Lothringer Specktorte) and is today used for all sorts of vegetable quiches making it a synonym for tart.
• Tart: made without sugar or salt and while adding the layer of fruit without often without the cast.
• Placek: Polish yeast-dough or shortcake that has a similar shape.
• Rijstevlaai: Has a similar recipe. In Belgium it is mostly known as a rice rijstevlaai. A mush of dried pears and, depending on the region, additional ingredients are put on the dough.[4]
• Dinnete: Swabian, similar to the recipe of a Tarte flambée.
• Cholera: Vallisian variation of a vegetable cake with leeks, potatoes, cheese and apples.
• Oladyi, Russian

• List of cakes
• List of pastries