It took over 1,350 kilos of potatoes to cook the world’s largest rösti — a traditional potato fritter from Switzerland.
Members of the Swiss Farmer’s Union cooked up the colossal 13 square metre rösti handing out portions to the crowd in front of the parliament building in Bern on Monday.
The farmer’s union president announced the new rösti record, which beat the one set in 1994, when a three-square-metre fritter was made.
“[This is] the day we have longed for. It’s also the day we have worked towards for over a year,” said Markus Ritter, the president of the union.
The union, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary, had the pan in the shape of a massive cross placed on a vast red mat to look like the Swiss flag.
Although the rösti is a traditional dish, it’s also the name attributed to the deep divide between the German and French-speaking regions of Switzerland.
In a symbolic effort to overcome this divide, the potatoes cooked were harvested from every region of Switzerland.
“The whole of Switzerland has beat this record together, with potatoes from all over the country, from all the cantons. It’s a very strong symbol!” said Markus Ritter.
The rösti was traditionally a farmers’ dish in rural Switzerland and was eaten at breakfast to prepare the body for the day’s physical labour.
Nowadays, it has become as much a symbol of Swiss cuisine as a Fondue or Raclette.
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