"During a 2016 appearance on Conan O'Brien's talk show, "Conan," the late-night host asked, "You've been just about everywhere ... you won't go to Switzerland. Why?" Bourdain responded that he has a "morbid fear" of just about anything Swiss, "even the cheese." When asked to expand on this fear, Bourdain jokingly suggested that it might stem from a "terrible childhood experience while watching 'The Sound of Music' that [he] blocked out.""
"While Bourdain found Switzerland frightening, it's important to note that in 2016, when this interview took place, Sweden's crime rate had actually decreased from the previous year, making it objectively much less scary than some of the other regions Bourdain had visited. Certain crimes had increased, however, like document forgery and fraud, so it's possible that Bourdain's fears included forgery as well as Swiss cheese, which originated in the land of milk and honey."
"Bourdain's travel shows allowed him to promote lesser-known locations and highlight diverse foods from different cultures and cuisines. What made his shows so unique was their ability to shed light on both what made each culinary region different as well as the stunning, unifying similarities that connect all humans, regardless of location. Bourdain missed out on experiencing Switzerland's diverse cuisine, including some of these popular Swiss foods."
Anthony Bourdain visited more than 80 countries across all seven continents while filming immersive culinary travel shows, yet he avoided some places, notably Switzerland. During a 2016 Conan appearance he said he had a "morbid fear" of almost anything Swiss, including cheese, and attributed it jokingly to a blocked childhood experience of watching The Sound of Music. The piece notes that Sweden's 2016 crime rate had decreased while some crimes like document forgery and fraud rose. Bourdain's shows promoted lesser-known locations, highlighted diverse foods, and emphasized unifying human similarities; he missed Switzerland's diverse cuisine.
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