Food - Drink
Boxty: The Irish Potato Pancakes That Go With Everything
By NATASHA BAILEY
Whether mashed, fried, or baked, potatoes are a beloved food item. While potatoes are popular worldwide, the Irish are especially renowned for their love of potatoes and have many recipes to enjoy the starchy veg from potato candy to colcannon mashed potatoes, and of course, boxty, the Irish version of a potato pancake.
What is Boxty?
While boxty is a potato pancake, it isn’t a simple hash brown flapjack or completely mashed like potato farls, but rather, it’s a bit of both. Boxty is a potato pancake made of shredded raw potato and creamy mashed potato mixed together with flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk, and then fried.
History of Boxty
Although the potato came to Ireland during the 16th century, boxty wasn’t created until about two centuries later when it became a major part of the Irish diet. The name “boxty” is believed to have come from either the Irish "arán bocht tí," which translates to "poor-house bread," or the word "bacstaí" which translates to "to bake.”
Boxty Varieties
Boxty is best made with a high-starch potato, like a Russet, to achieve a crispy exterior and soft interior. While there are many variations of potato pancakes around the world from Jewish latkes to Swiss rösti and Indian aloo cheela, boxty is unique in using both shredded and mashed potatoes.