Explore the Val d’Anniviers’ authentic tradition of rye bread made with love in our communal ovens. You will discover our ancestral culinary heritage, where each bite tells a story from generation to generation. Here are a few anecdotes about the communal oven to whet your appetite.
The oven was heated with dry fir logs, laid out and criss-crossed. It had to be heated for four to six hours before the first batch of bread was baked. The second batch could begin eight hours later. Then it was enough to heat the oven for half an hour. To make sure the oven was sufficiently hot, the villagers checked to see if the stones in the vault had turned white.
The bread was baked for an hour and half, then placed on racks to cool. If a pregnant woman passed by the oven, she was entitled to a piece of warm bread to combat any cravings.
The advantage of this bread, made from rye as well as wheat flour and potatoes, was that it kept well for a very long period of time – even up to several months! Once it became too hard to eat, it was chopped with an axe and soaked in milk or wine before being consumed.
