Ricola!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

He’s got a cold.  We’re in Switzerland.  This is a no-brainer. Riccollaaaaaa!    We never bought them in the US, so I can’t tell you if they taste the same.  Regardless, they are surprisingly good.

 

Here’s some fun Ricola info for you.  The mountains on the label are the Eiger (the ogre) on the left, the Jungfrau (virgin) on the right and the Monch (the monk) between them.  Obviously.  


Ironically, the Ricola gardens are outside Zermatt home of the Matterhorn (another famous mountain, but not on the label).*

One more interesting Ricola tidbit, Michael Jackson included them in his pre-concert ritual!

Here’s the link to the commercial, Halloween Ricola commercials, a politician whose aide is coughing, a slightly off color European commercial, some funny ones in German featuring typically Swiss things like Heidi, hunting, mountain climbing and a goat.  WARNING: If you watch it, you will be bellowing “Riccollaaaa” all day long.

* There are actually five Ricola gardens in Switzerland.

My What a Big Horn You Have

The Alphorn

If you have seen a Ricola commercial, you are familiar with the alphorn (aka the alpenhorn). It is a giant horn made of wood. In the 18th century, it was used by shepherds to communicate across mountains. It is still popular there. Like yodeling and the accordion, it is a symbol of traditional Swiss music. In fact, it is the Swiss national instrument.

If you are interested in playing one, you’d better have a good set of lungs. It requires steady power to produce a sound. Not surprisingly, it is loud. Really, really loud.

Here is a link to a WSJ article on new, young stars of alphorn music. They are creating a stir by getting creative with the alphorn. Traditionalists disapprove.