
Maluns – Traditional Grison Cuisine
Pane-Bistecca
Maluns – Traditional Grisons Cuisine are actually very simple potato drops, a traditional peasant meal, similar to Rösti, which also comes from our peasant cuisine. It is served with apple sauce, cheese and café latte!
The dish reached its peak during the famine around 1770 in Marschlin, Grison, Switzerland, when people realized that potatoes were easy to grow and filling. The farmers had all the ingredients, potatoes and flour, butter, dried sausage, bacon and cheese, so this meal could be served at any time. At that time, the habit of cooking maluns became so widespread among the farmers of the canton that some of them were nicknamed “Magliamaluns” or “Malauner”, which means “maluns eaters”.
The Rhaeto-Romanic word “maluns” comes from the Latin micula/miculones: “small crumbs”. Maluns are also known in German as Bündner Kartoffelribel (Grison Potato drops).
Potatoes and corn, originally from South America, were brought to the region in the 18th century by Johann Gubert Rudolf von Salis from the moated castle of Marschlin, near Landquart. The potatoes were actually planted in this moated castle in 1717 as decoration, but it was not until 1758 that they were also served as a side dish at banquets. However, they were not so well received by the guests, as the potatoes were probably not cooked thoroughly. The famine changed a great deal and today it is impossible to imagine Swiss cuisine without the potato.
The dish reached its peak during the famine around 1770 in Marschlin, Grison, Switzerland, when people realized that potatoes were easy to grow and filling. The farmers had all the ingredients, potatoes and flour, butter, dried sausage, bacon and cheese, so this meal could be served at any time. At that time, the habit of cooking maluns became so widespread among the farmers of the canton that some of them were nicknamed “Magliamaluns” or “Malauner”, which means “maluns eaters”.
The Rhaeto-Romanic word “maluns” comes from the Latin micula/miculones: “small crumbs”. Maluns are also known in German as Bündner Kartoffelribel (Grison Potato drops).
Potatoes and corn, originally from South America, were brought to the region in the 18th century by Johann Gubert Rudolf von Salis from the moated castle of Marschlin, near Landquart. The potatoes were actually planted in this moated castle in 1717 as decoration, but it was not until 1758 that they were also served as a side dish at banquets. However, they were not so well received by the guests, as the potatoes were probably not cooked thoroughly. The famine changed a great deal and today it is impossible to imagine Swiss cuisine without the potato.
Ingredients
500 g floury boiled potatoes from the day before
150-200 g flour (depending on how floury the potatoes are)
Salt and Pepper
40 g Butter
Instructions
1
Step 1
Grate the boiled potatoes on a coarse grater.
2
Step 2
Now mix with a little pepper and salt and a handful of flour, add another handful of flour and mix (see video). Be careful, the flour is not kneaded in but mixed in, it sticks to the potatoes.
3
Step 3
You can also knead them and then rub them in the palms of your hands, like crumbles.
4
Step 4
Melt the butter in a wide pan and fry the maluns in it, stirring and turning until golden brown. This can take up to 20-30 minutes. Serve with apple sauce or apple slices.
Notes
I topped my maluns with raclette cheese and they were wonderful!







