Meitschibei

Meitschibei are finger-thick, horseshoe-shaped Bernese pastries filled with sweetened hazelnuts. Their name directly translates to girl’s legs and it comes from their characteristic shape. The dough is made with white flour, butter, milk, yeast, malt, sugar, salt, and eggs, while the filling is made with ground hazelnuts, orange peel, lemon zest, cinnamon, sugar, and a little water.

Meitschibei can be easily found in bakeries throughout the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In the French-speaking parts of the country, the product is known as croissant viennois – Viennese croissant. The origins of meitschibei are lost to time, but they most likely originated in Bern at the beginning of the 20th century.