Switzerland now has a catalogue of its culinary heritage thanks to a new internet database of more than 400 traditional food products.

It includes products from all the country's 26 cantons, for example carrot cake from Aargau or the Ticinese cheese speciality Zincarlin.

"Varied, familiar but also surprising... and mainly tasty," commented the Swiss Culinary Heritage Association on the contents of the database in a statement on Tuesday.

"It's a living catalogue. The items listed provide a source of revenue for many producers. It is beneficial to agriculture, the food industry and of course to consumers," said Manfred Bötsch, director of the Federal Agriculture Office.

The oldest products include spelt wheat, dried fruit and beer, while the most expensive is saffron from Mund in canton Valais, which costs about SFr15,000 ($12,295) per kg.

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