January 23, 2026, 6:19 p.mJan 23, 2026, 6:27 p.m
Video: Watson/Lucas Zollinger
The fact that Swiss cuisine – especially that of German-speaking Switzerland – is not exactly internationally notorious for its excellence is nothing new. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent goes even further in his assessment: after a few days he would probably prefer German-Swiss food to Käfer.
In an interview with the political magazine Politico, the finance minister spoke about the past of the WEF in Davos: “It was wild back then, they talked about how we just didn’t own anything anymore and were eating insects.” The moderator then asked him whether he didn’t think about eating beetles. Bessent replied:
“I’ll put it this way: After a few days of Swiss cuisine, I would probably switch to beetles.”
The commentator found the right word: “Brutal!” On Reddit, Swiss users found other, equally appropriate words. One user wrote that Bessent should be “fondue-boarded” – an allusion to the torture method waterboarding, in which water is poured over the victim’s face, which is covered with a rag. Those affected reported that the experience could be compared to drowning. (cpf, video lzo)