Market Stall · Fried Potato Cake

Rösti

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Rösti is such a national symbol that Switzerland's German/French cultural divide is nicknamed the "Röstigraben" — the rösti ditch.

Rösti starts with parboiled potatoes grated coarsely, then pressed into a hot buttered pan and fried until a crackling golden crust forms on both sides. Market stalls and winter food huts sell wedges of it in paper trays, often topped with a fried egg, bacon, or melted cheese for an easy handheld meal.

Why it's made this way: Originally a farmer's breakfast from the canton of Bern, rösti became so identified with German-speaking Switzerland that the invisible cultural boundary separating it from French-speaking regions is jokingly called the "Röstigraben."