Rösti

Rösti

Rösti is a potato dish from Switzerland. It was originally a common breakfast eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but today is eaten all over Switzerland. Many Swiss people consider rösti a national dish. Today it is more commonly served as a sidedish to meat and vegetables rather than eaten for breakfast.

Rösti is made with potatoes which are grated and often mixed with some fat such as oil. They are then shaped into rounds or patties, which come in different sizes usually measuring between 3-12 cm (1 to 5 inches) in diameter. They are most often shallow fried but can also be baked in the oven. A number of additional ingredients are often added, such as bacon, onions, cheese, apples or fresh herbs.

There are different views on what makes a perfect rösti. The greatest difference of opinion is whether to use raw or boiled potatoes as the main ingredient. Also, the kind of potato which makes the best rösti dish is widely disputed.

The issue of raw versus boiled potatoes is commonly considered solved as follows: If rösti is a side dish and the main dish is meat with sauce, then boiled potatoes are used. This allows the rösti to soak in some of the sauce. On the other hand, if rösti is the main dish (particularly if served with cheese), raw potatoes are more suitable.

Rösti is sometimes considered unhealthy because of the amount of butter or oil used.

The dish also gives its name to the Swiss political term, röstigraben (rösti ditch)

See also

• Hash brown, food made of fried, diced or shredded potatoes
• Tater Tots, a commercial version of shaped hash browns