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How does Finland taste?
Welcome to explore the Finnish flavours and delicacies originating from the pure arctic nature!
WILD BERRIES
The colorful wild berries are the treasure of vast Finnish forests with very clean air. The cleanest air in the world you can enjoy in the Finnish Lapland.
In the Finnish forests, there are about 50 different natural berries of which 36 are eatable. Even in less fruitful years the forests produce about 100 million kg berries of which only a small amount is ever picked.
Anyone can pick the Finnish berries for free, thanks to the Finnish everyman’s right. So just park your car by the road and fill your bucket with the Finnish superfoods.
Typical Finnish forest berries are blueberry, lingonberry and cloudberry. Other popular berries include cranberry, sea buckthorn, wild strawberry, arctic rasberry, crowberry, bog whortleberry, rowan and juniper.
Forest berries are real superfoods. They are full of important vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
Wild berries are used fresh as well as preserved and sold in many forms: frozen, dried, powders, juices jams, jellies and dessert sauces. Read more about the Finnish wild berries.
FOREST MUSHROOMS
There are tens of eatable mushrooms in the Finnish forests. Mushroom picking is a popular hobby in autumns. Typical and delicious mushrooms are chanterelles, funnel chanterelles and ceps.
You can also get Finnish forest mushrooms dried or canned. Soak the dried mushrooms or springle them directly to soup, sauce or pasta and enjoy!
When you see a juicy mushroom pie (sienipiirakka) on a menu in a Finnish café, don’t hesitate but order a slice!
LAKE FISH
Fishing is a very popular nature activity in Finland. You need to buy a fishing permit if you want to catch fish in the Finnish waters.
There are 103 fish species in the Finnish lakes and rivers. The most common are perch, pike, salmon and Baltic herring.
When you visit Eastern Finland, ask for the local fish pie (kalakukko). The traditional fish pie is made of vendace (muikku) in a rye dough crust. There are also perch, salmon and meat pies in market stalls and supermarkets.
Don’t forget to taste the Finnish creamy salmon soup (lohikeitto).
WILD MEAT
Finns eat lots of meat. The best and the most ecological Finnish meat dishes are made from reindeer and elk. They have low fat content and mild game aroma.
Many Finns buy their game meat directly from hunters and Lappish reindeer farmers. Supermarkets sell frozen game meat as well as smoked and dried reindeer cuts.
Try Sauteed reindeer (poronkäristys) with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS
In Finland, like in other countries, there is a growing number of vegetarians and vegans who enjoy the recent Finnish vegetable protein innovations.
Härkis is a new vegan protein product made of broad beans and resembling ready-made minced meat.
Nyhtökaura or nyhtis is made of oats, beans and yellow peas. It can be eaten as such or fried on a pan.
Mifu is made of milk protein resembling cottage cheese. It can be fried and cooked without melting.
FROM THE BAKERY
The Finns are proud of their vast bread selection. We love especially our rye bread (ruisleipä). Oat and barley breads are also popular and tasty.
The traditional Carelian pie (karjalanpiirakka) has a rye crust and rise porridge filling. Taste it warmed up with a big chunk of egg butter on top.
Perhaps the most popular sweet bakery products in Finland are cinnamon buns (korvapuusti) and blueberry pie (mustikkapiirakka). These delicacies you find in many coffee shops, bakeries and supermarkets.
In Finland, there is a versatile and growing selection of gluten free bakery products.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
The Finnish shops have long dairy product shelves. The Milks, butter milks, yoghurts, quarks, cheese, ice-cream and other products come in varying tastes and fat content.
If you have or suspect a lactose intolerance, don't worry, so do many Finns. Almost all dairy products can be found as low lactose or lactose free versions as well.
Try bread cheese (leipäjuusto) with cloudberries.
SWEET DELICACIES
Fazer is the best known manufacturer of Finnish chocolate and other sweets. Naturally, you have to try the speciliaties: salmiakki and licorice.
The Finnish handmade gourmet chocolates with wild berries are also definitely worth mentioning and tasting.
Finnish honey products with many different aromas are loved in and outside the country. How about delicious honey with salmiakki, tar, lingonberry, coffee or chocolate?
DRINKS
The Finns are the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world. We mostly consume filter coffee with mild roast. Espresso and other stronger coffees are available in most coffee shops in towns.
Berry drinks with and without alcohol are numerous and delicious. When you want to buy a bottle of cloudberry liqueur (lakkalikööri) you have to go to the nearest Alko, our national alcohol beverage retailing monopoly.
Finnish beers and ciders manufactured in small breweries as well as long drink (lonkero) are worth a try. How about a lingonberry or blueberry cider or a lingonberry long drink?
The favourite drink of the Christmas season in Finland is of course glögi. The Finnish traditional glögi is red and without alcohol that you can add according to your taste.
The Finnish glögi selection includes light and blueberry glögi as well as glögi wines. You can also buy a glögi spice mixture and make your own Christmas drink at home.
Kippis! Cheers!
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