Aperotherapy

Aperotherapy

The aperitive, called apero is a beverage that people drink to increase appetite before big meals. In reality, it is much more than that. The apero represents many cultures’ way of sharing a convivial moment with others. For my friends and me, it is a regular meeting, usually at the end of the week directly after work, during which we share, laugh and relax from the intense professional life we have during the week. In my own life, it represents the moment I wait all week long to talk for hours with my friends. Now that I am living in Chicago, I do not have my friends and the friends I have met here do not have the same customs. Therefore, I cannot reproduce this precious moment here in the same way.

 

Switzerland, especially in the French part, is surrounded by vineyards. The wine culture is anchored in our traditions and is directly tied to the ritual aperitive, like in some areas in France, Italy and Spain. The most appreciated beverage with the apero is wine. The Swiss most frequently start with white wine. If a meal follows, we usually keep the white wine until we start the meal, and if the apero is a buffet dinner, we change for the red wine after a while. In general, white wine is preferred with white meat, fish and with cheese. Red wine however could also be drunk with cheese and is preferred with red meat and pastas. People also like beer or other alcohol with the apero, like Martini or Champagne for special events. Some of them prefer non-alcohol beverage or share alcohol with water or orange juice, for example. In Chicago, I have not found the wine I am used drinking. The United States has a big variety of American wine.

 

The apero is always drunk with something to eat. In Switzerland, people enjoy having several things, for example, chips, peanuts, pistachios, olives, cheese or cold meat. If people make the apero at home, they will prepare more appetizers like guacamole, hummus, salmon mousse or canapés. If the apero is a buffet dinner and no meal follows, the food will be more varied or more substantial to satisfy the appetite. The buffet dinner also contains sweet little desserts. The idea of the food with the apero is to eat with your hands, so everything is small or cut in pieces. Everywhere the apero is drunk with local products from the specific area. In France, the habits are close to the ones in Switzerland, and in Italy they also like fried vegetables. In Spain, they call it tapas and they eat it with also other things like tortillas, meatballs with tomato sauce or chorizo. I have heard about happy hour in United States, but I have never been to one. I guess the idea is the same, enjoying a convivial moment with people you appreciate after a day at work or during the weekend. However, the food habits in the United States might be different and usually include chips, salsa or chicken wings.

 

What makes the apero more appreciable is the people we are with, coworkers, colleagues, friends or family - anyone whose company we enjoy. Meeting for the apero is the best way to meet several people at the same time to keep in touch in any circumstances. During these moments, people often meet new acquaintances because sometimes one friend invites a colleague, or a colleague invites a member of his family. Most of the time the apero is not made in a small group. People may join, even later. The Swiss custom is to have a lot of people around a table. Every good occasion is appropriate for an apero. At work, it can be the departure of a coworker or a colleague; in the family, it can be before the Christmas meal; or with my friends, a birthday occasion. My life in Chicago does not have the same flow as in my country. The occasion to make an apero is less frequent, most probably because I do not work.

 

After an apero with my friends, I always feel relaxed and happy to have amazing people in my life. Friends are like another family. They bring smiles and love in our life and sharing the apero with them is really enriching. This part of my culture has been lost in translation since I arrived in this country because I can't reproduce it here in the same way. I definitely miss those precious moments with my closest friends and the benefits of the aperotherapy.