Flavors · Kainuu

Kainuun rönttönen

Small round open tart made with a rye crust, filled with mashed potato sweetened by the potato itself and crushed lingonberry. It is the specialty of the Kainuu region and has a protected geographical indication from the European Union.

Traditional sweet from Kainuu

Also known as: rönttönen, rönttöset, Kainuun rönttöset

Updated November 2026

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Kainuun rönttönen — Kainuu, Finland — Kainuun rönttönen

Kainuun rönttönen — Kainuu, Finland

Kainuun rönttönen is a small, round open tart with hand-pleated edges. The dough is rye with a portion of wheat and a slight sour fermentation that makes it tender. The filling is made from cooked, mashed potato that rests warm with a little rye flour: enzymes convert some of the starch into sugar, a process Finns call imellytys. The sweetened potato is mixed with crushed lingonberry, which adds color and acidity.

The official EU registration document explains that the rönttönen satisfied sweet cravings at a time when sugar was rare or nonexistent in the region: the sweetness came from the potato. The same source notes that cookbooks automatically associate the rönttönen with Kainuu and that it is a local specialty of Kuhmo, a municipality in the region. In 2008 the name Kainuun rönttönen was registered as a protected geographical indication, and it can only be made within Kainuu.

Bakeries in the region make rönttönen daily for shops and cafés, and production increases during festival seasons, such as the Kuhmo chamber music festival. Traditionally the rönttönen accompanies soups; it is also a snack with coffee, eaten cold or warm, sometimes with a bit of butter.

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Where it comes from

Kainuu
Kainuu is the region of the rönttönen: the name has a protected geographical indication and the tart can only be made there.

Ingredients

Dough of rye flour with a little wheat, water and salt. Filling of potato sweetened by rye flour, lingonberry, and in some recipes, sugar.

How it is eaten

Cold or warm, whole, as an accompaniment to soup or as a coffee snack; sometimes with butter on top.

When it is eaten

Everyday food, no fixed date.

Your questions

Questions about Kainuun rönttönen

What is Kainuun rönttönen?

An open rye tart filled with mashed potato sweetened and lingonberry. It is the specialty of the Kainuu region in eastern Finland and has a protected geographical indication.

Why is the rönttönen filling sweet?

Cooked potato rests warm with rye flour, and some of the starch turns into sugar. It was a way to make a sweet when sugar was scarce in the region.

How is rönttönen eaten?

Cold or warm, as a coffee snack or served with soup, sometimes with a little butter.

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