Food in Finland is characterized by the fact that when you come to this country, you can taste hearty, simple, tasty and healthy Finnish dishes.
Food in Finland
The Finnish diet consists of cereals, dairy products, fish, vegetables, meat, various casseroles, soups, salads.
Since edible wild berries (buckthorn, lingonberry, cranberry, arctic raspberry) grow in Finland, the Finns often use them as a side dish. For example, they like to complement dishes made from venison or elk meat with cloudberries.
An equally popular product in Finland is mushrooms. Champignons, golden chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, shiitaki, russula are often added to local dishes.
The peculiarity of Finnish cuisine is that many dishes can consist of fish and meat at the same time, or fish and milk.
In Finland, you should definitely try kalalaatikko (stewed potatoes with herring), klimpisoppa (fish soup with dumplings), kaalivelli (milk porridge based on young peas, pearl barley, carrots and green cabbage), savulohi (smoked salmon), meat dishes (lamb, elk, venison, bear meat).
Where to eat in Finland?
At your service:
- restaurants (many of them are Michelin star holders and bearers of the national quality mark “Taste of Finland”);
- fast food restaurants (Gesburger "", "McDonald's");
- pizzerias, kebabs, cafes and pastry shops.
Drinks in Finland
Popular Finnish drinks are coffee, homemade beer, kvass, and various liqueurs.
Wine and spirits in Finland can be bought only in stores of the state monopoly Akko (ordinary stores sell drinks with an alcohol content of no more than 4.7%).
If you want to, you should try the country's national drink - the local Kossu vodka.
When purchasing local beer, pay attention to the label: beer marked “l” is inexpensive and contains low% alcohol, while the designations “III” and “IV” indicate that the drink is more expensive and stronger.
Gastronomic tour to Finland
Arriving in Helsinki as part of a food tour, you will visit the Hietalahti market - here they will tell you about local products, specialties and places of shopping for food by Finns, as well as arrange a tasting of these products for you.
If you wish, you can organize an excursion to the restaurant-hotel Klaus K - here you will be greeted by the chef, who will tell you about the hospitality, everyday life and food habits of the Finns. In addition, he will offer you to taste light snacks with Finnish fish (vendace, salmon) and shrimps, as well as a soft drink based on spruce needles.
In addition to numerous attractions, in Finland you will find cafes, bistros, eateries, pubs. And by visiting the city's indoor markets, you can take the best gastronomic tour of the country, tasting traditional homemade food and freshly baked pastries.
