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Raggmunk is a traditional Swedish potato pancake made by combining grated raw potatoes with a light batter of flour, milk, and eggs, then frying until golden and crispy. Typically served with crispy pork and sweet-tart lingonberry jam, it’s a beloved winter comfort food that balances simplicity with rich, satisfying flavor. The dish has deep roots in rural Swedish cuisine and is still widely enjoyed today, even earning its own national food day.
Ingredients
- 6-7 medium-sized potatoes (about 800–900g), peeled
- 1 egg
- 350 ml milk
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- a pinch of white pepper optional
- Butter or pork fat, for frying
For serving:
- thick-cut bacon or salted pork, fried until crisp
- lingonberry jam or cranberry if you can’t find it
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes. Use a coarse grater and work fast — potatoes can brown quickly. Once grated, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This step makes all the difference.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, egg, salt, and pepper. You want a smooth, slightly runny batter. Stir in the grated potatoes and make sure everything’s coated evenly.
- Time to fry. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a generous knob of butter. Spoon some of the potato mixture into the pan and flatten it gently into a thin pancake. Let it cook until the edges start to crisp and the bottom is golden — about 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side.
- Repeat and keep warm. You can place the finished pancakes on a tray in a low oven while you fry the rest.
Notes
Raggmunk – the Swedish potato pancake that brings warmth to winter days 🥔❄️
When the temperature drops and Sweden’s landscape turns frosty, there’s one dish that often finds its way onto the table: raggmunk. These crispy potato pancakes, browned in butter and served with salty pork and a spoonful of lingonberry jam, have been a beloved comfort food in Sweden for generations. Simple? Yes. But boring? Never.
Humble beginnings in the countryside 🌾
Raggmunk didn’t start off as a gourmet meal. It was born out of necessity — something to feed hungry families during long winters, using what they had on hand: potatoes, milk, flour, and eggs. These basic ingredients, when mixed together just right and fried until golden, turned into something far more satisfying than they had any right to be. People didn’t write down recipes — they just made it by feel. A handful of this, a splash of that. And still today, most Swedes make it the way their parents or grandparents taught them. That’s part of the charm.What makes raggmunk stand out ✨
While other cultures have their versions of potato pancakes — think German Kartoffelpuffer or Jewish latkes — raggmunk is a bit different. It’s thinner, lighter, and has a batter made with milk and flour that binds the grated potatoes together without weighing them down. Fried in butter or lard, the pancakes turn out crispy at the edges, soft in the middle, and full of savory flavor. But they don’t steal the whole show — it’s the toppings that really complete the dish.The classic way to serve it 🍽️
Swedes don’t mess around when it comes to tradition. Raggmunk is nearly always served with crispy fried pork and a spoonful of lingonberry jam. The salty and sweet combination might sound unusual, but it works surprisingly well. It’s balanced, bold, and strangely addictive. Add a little parsley if you’re feeling fancy, but honestly — it’s perfect as is.A dish with its own holiday 🎉
That’s right — raggmunk is so loved in Sweden that it has its own day. The third Thursday of November is Raggmunkens dag, and on that day, you’ll find it on menus everywhere, from school cafeterias to traditional lunch spots. Families across the country fry up their own batches to celebrate, and yes — the bacon and lingonberries are non-negotiable.
