Birnbrot

Bündner Birnbrot

/ˈbɪrnˌbroːt/BEERN-broht

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Bread & pastry
Graubünden

When: TeatimeFestive
Taste: Sweet
Made with: Wheat & flourNuts & seeds

History

Birnbrot, pear bread, is a traditional bake of the Swiss Alps and foothills with a filling of dried pears. Besides pears the filling holds sultanas, walnuts and often figs and dried apple, spiced with candied peel, coriander, cinnamon, star anise, anise and cloves and laced with pomace brandy, kirsch or wine. For Birnbrot the filling is mixed with bread dough and wrapped in a thin layer of yeast dough. It began as a bread of poor people, who stretched expensive grain from the lowlands with dried fruit. The Bündner Birnbrot of Graubünden soaks its pears overnight in pear pomace brandy or rose water instead of puréeing them, which gives it a coarser texture and a stronger pear taste. It is a bake of Advent and Christmas, in Graubünden especially of New Year.

Sources

Birnbrot (Wikipedia) read 2026-11-01
Birnbrot (de Wikipedia) read 2026-11-01

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How to pronounce Birnbrot

Birnbrot is written Bündner Birnbrot where it comes from. In the International Phonetic Alphabet it is /ˈbɪrnˌbroːt/. In plain English letters that is BEERN-broht, with the stress on the syllable in capitals. There is no recording by a native speaker yet, so use the spelling and the IPA.

What is Birnbrot?

Birnbrot is a bread or pastry of Switzerland. Where it comes from: Graubünden. People usually eat it at teatime and on festive days. Its main ingredients are wheat & flour and nuts & seeds. It tastes sweet.

Where Birnbrot comes from

Birnbrot is one of 30 signature dishes of Switzerland on this map. See all dishes from Grisons.

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Food of Switzerland

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