Cornmeal is made by grinding dried maize kernels into a coarse flour. Ribel is made by stirring this cornmeal into hot water or milk, cooking it into a thick porridge-like mixture, then frying it in butter until bits of it turn crispy and golden. The contrast between soft inside and crunchy outside is what people love about it.
Ribel has been eaten in Liechtenstein and the surrounding region for centuries, long before supermarkets or complicated cooking equipment. It was the kind of sturdy, warming food that farmers and mountain workers needed to fuel a hard day's work outdoors.
Today Ribel is considered a traditional heritage food. You can eat it savoury alongside meat or vegetables, or sweet with a generous spoonful of berry jam on top for breakfast. Some people eat both versions in the same day. It is one of those dishes that connects modern Liechtenstein directly to its farming past.