Switzerland produces caviar using railway tunnel water

Switzerland is producing its own caviar by using warm water flowing from a railway tunnel, highlighting the country’s innovative approach to agriculture and food production, the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh said in a recent social media post.

The embassy highlighted the unusual example of Oona Caviar, a company based in Frutigen, where thermal water emerging from the Lötschberg Base Tunnel is used to operate a sturgeon farm.

According to the embassy, the company currently produces between two and three tonnes of caviar annually.

The Swiss Embassy also pointed to several other agricultural products that may challenge conventional perceptions of Swiss farming.

Switzerland produces kiwis, with around 80 to 90 percent of the country’s kiwi production coming from an organic farm near Lake Geneva. The country also grows citrus fruits and is home to a collection of 270 citrus varieties, described by the embassy as the largest such collection in Europe.

Rice has also been cultivated north of the Alps since 1997, while organic sweet potatoes are grown and harvested by hand. Switzerland additionally produces pesticide-free quinoa.

The embassy’s post highlighted these examples as evidence of the diversity and innovation within Swiss agriculture, going beyond traditional perceptions of farming in the European country.

The unusual agricultural practices also demonstrate how Swiss producers are adapting local resources and environmental conditions to develop distinctive food products.

Swiss agriculture combines innovation, local resources and diversity.