Sausage-flavoured ice cream to be offered at Olma fair in St. Gallen
By Jan de Boer
If you’ve ever joined the over 330.000 people who visit the Olma fair every year, you’ll know of the iconic bratwurst that bears the event’s name. Now, visitors to the fair in St. Gallen will be offered a new way to enjoy the eastern Swiss staple, thanks to the introduction of sausage-flavoured ice cream.
Kalte Lust brings sausage-flavoured ice cream to Olma
Speaking to ZüriToday, ice cream company Kalte Lust confirmed that they would be bringing something meaty to the 81st Olma Swiss Trade Fair for Agriculture and Food, the largest public fair in Switzerland - and some would say it’s the absolute wurst.
Alongside their traditional flavours of chocolate and strawberry, the Olten-based firm will be bringing along an ice cream that tastes like an Olma Bratwurst. Marketing employee Patricia Müller said that the ice cream consists of a milk base seasoned with St. Gallen Olma Bratwurst and just a hint of mustard. "A few pieces of sausage were also scattered around as decoration."
Olma Bratwurst: The iconic dish of St. Gallen
"As a Solothurn company, we really wanted to bring something to the Olma that the people of St. Gallen would remember," Müller explained. "We like to be controversial with our creations and if you come to St. Gallen, you simply have to do something with this cult bratwurst."
Though associated with the Olma today, the sausage has a much longer and richer history than the event itself. According to St. Galler Bratwurst IGP, the recipe of veal, bacon, spices and milk was first mentioned as far back as 1438, long before the first Olma fair in 1943. However, while the traditional St. Galler sausage is only 100 grams, the Olma Bratwurst is supersized to 160 grams.
Swiss sausage ice cream declared absurd but surprising
Needless to say, not even Kalte Lust thinks it's onto a winner with its sausage ice cream. "The ice cream tastes absurd, but also very surprising," Müller conceded. "We have produced this variety exclusively for the Olma. So anyone who wants to try the bratwurst ice cream with mustard will have to come to St. Gallen, whether they like it or not." The sausage sundae will be available for the duration of the event, from October 10 to 20.
What are the chances of this being added to Kalte Lust’s regular range of flavours offered across the cantons? Not a sausage.
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more