röran

Röran is the definite form of the Swedish noun röra, which denotes a mixture, mash, or mess. The base verb röra means to move or stir, and the noun form refers to the result of mixing as well as the act of stirring. In culinary usage, röra describes a loose blend of ingredients that is spread or stirred together, rather than a solid dish. Common examples include kräftröra (crayfish spread) and sillröra (herring spread). The term is widely used in everyday speech and in recipes to describe quick, informal preparations, such as a röra of potatoes, herbs, and mayonnaise.

In a broader sense röra can also denote disorder or confusion, as in det blev en röra i köket (the kitchen became a mess) or röran i politiken (turmoil in politics). The word appears in various compound forms, and its definite form röran is used when referring to a specific mixture or situation of disorder.

Etymology traces röra to the Swedish verb röra, meaning to move or stir; the noun form developed to denote the result of stirring as well as the process itself. The usage is well established in both spoken and written Swedish, with flexibility to describe food preparations as well as figurative chaos.

See also: röra (verb) and röra in culinary terms.