Ah, Swiss Chalet, the classic Canadian staple that every Northerner seems to love, especially at this time of the year! For decades now, the appeal has been there: affordable chicken dinners with tasty sides, and an unbeatable Christmas feast that comes with all the traditional fixings you’d find at home.
But alongside those chicken drumsticks comes a staple in its own right—the secret sauce. What is it? Why does it kind of taste like cinnamon? Is it actually any good, or are Canadians just devoted to the nostalgic gloop? Swiss Chalet certainly seems to think it’s worthy of the table, offering it with just about every meal unless you tell them otherwise. With all those holiday feasts ready to get eaten, we thought it was high time to examine the sauce and see if it lives up to the hype.
Where It All Began
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Swiss Chalet’s sauce has been around since the restaurant’s inception in 1954. The founders have understandably remained tight-lipped about the recipe, but that didn’t stop it from becoming a pretty big hit with diners. It became so popular, in fact, that it soon started gracing every rotisserie chicken dinner in the joint (whether you wanted it to or not).
Over the years, the restaurant exploded into nearly 200 locations across Canada, with a brief stint in the U.S., particularly in New York and Buffalo. It actually had decent success until 2010, when the last U.S. locations closed their doors for good, causing American fans to flock across the border just for a taste. Make no mistake: that journey wasn’t enough to prevent diehard diners from hitting the road.
The closures didn’t stop Swiss Chalet’s popularity across Canada either, and the whole place remained a staple of the country’s culture. But with so many hungry diners banging their forks for chicken, one little question remained: Is that accompanying sauce actually worth a permanent spot at the table?
Why Is The Sauce So Polarizing?
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There’s no in between with the stuff—you either love it or hate it. For those unfamiliar, it’s thick and red and supposedly pairs pretty well with the joint’s classic dishes. However, because no one really knows what’s inside it, it’s remained a divisive addition.
Now, that’s not to say that Swiss Chalet hasn’t divulged some information about it. As with anything popular, this fan-favorite soon became available for purchase across stores and even from the restaurant’s website. The sauce mix packet boasts less salt than the original and comes with a list of sought-after ingredients: corn starch, salt, tomato powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and citric acid. And, of course, the ever-vague “spices” and “herbs.”
People have tried to recreate it at home, and plenty of recipes list the author’s take on this traditional dip. Some include Worcestershire, others toss allspice in there, and a few have even experimented with hot sauce. Whatever’s in the original recipe, make no mistake that cinnamon and likely nutmeg hide in there somewhere, too! In fact, that’s part of what makes it so unique—or gross, depending on who you ask.
Does It Complement the Chicken?
If you’re going to brand yourself around rotisserie birds (and other similar dishes), you need a good sauce. Unfortunately, the jury’s still out on whether or not Swiss Chalet’s actually pairs well with a juicy chicken breast…or scoops of golden mashed potatoes.
For us, we don’t “hate” it, but we certainly don’t like it. It leans far too heavily on the weird concoction of spices, and call us crazy, but we don’t think a rich sauce that’s somehow tangy and savory should touch our beloved chicken. It also doesn’t help that just about every dish comes with the stuff; we not only feel wasteful for ignoring it, but also gaslit into loving this thing we didn’t even ask for!
On the other hand, plenty of diners can’t get enough of the stuff. For them, Swiss Chalet nailed a unique recipe that blends sweet and savory in one handy dish. Its versatility also earns it top marks across the board; diners dip everything from their fries to the buns. Sure, the mixture is a little out there, but paired with nostalgia and some easy comfort food, the whole thing is a win-win.
If you’ve never tried Swiss Chalet’s sauce before, you might as well join the in-crowd! There’s no real guarantee that you’ll enjoy it, but you’ll at least have a better idea of what makes the stuff such a point of contention across tables. Then again, who knows, you might just find yourself in good company should the odd recipe tickle your taste buds. Just be warned: if you wind up not liking it, you’ll have a whole dish just staring at you throughout dinner.
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