Traditional Finnish dishes are simple, unpretentious and very nourishing as well as Russian ones: soups, porridges, soft drinks from wild berries, rye-bread.
There are elements of Swedish and Russian cuisine in Finnish receipts. But the main thing is that all dishes are prepared from ecologically clean natural products of high quality.
The variety of Finnish cuisine
Every region of Finland will surprise the gourmets with its special culinary delights.
There is usually an abundance of fish dishes on the table: soaked in liquor dried fish, fried or raw pickled salmon as well as trout, cod, pickled herring, salted salmon, herring, etc.
You should taste national Finnish dishes of game such as frozen, smoked or stewed venison, snow goose, a partridge in a cream sauce, fried or braised beef.
They usually serve up potatoes for the variety of dishes from fish and meat.
Popular Finnish dishes
The most popular Finnish dishes are:
- the porridge of various cereals in milk;
- rye pie of fish “kalekukko”;
- the main dish of Easter table – “myammi”;
- roast venison and “poronkyaristyus”- thinly sliced venison;
- “karyalanpaysti” - a dish of several types of meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.);
- baked pudding of potatoes and herring under the “cover” of eggs, milk and flour – “kalalatikko”;
- the cakes of rye dough with rice or mashed potatoes – “karya payrzkat”;
- sea fish braised in milk – “maytokalakeyto”;
- a salmon in the fire;
- the soup of dried fish – “maymarokka”;
- blood-pudding “mustamakkara”;
- cold collation “Karelian Salamat”;
- the dishes of lobster;
- Lappish cheese.
Finns are very fond of ice-cold vodka with cancers (especially “Koskenkorva-Wynne” and “Finland”), and kvass is in favor after sauna. At any Finnish table you will find the home-brewed beer “Kotikalya” or golden Lapland beer “Lapin Cult”, kissel with raisins or home kvass.
Finnish berry liqueurs with unusual taste and aroma of blackberry and Arctic polar cranberry, berry champagne “Kavleri” and “Elissi” are worthy of a special attention.
Various bilberry, blueberry, cranberry and cloudberry fruit drinks and fruit compotes are much loved in Finland.
Coffee has occupied a special place in the life of Finns since the middle of the XVIII century. There is not any event without the cup of coffee in this country. Finns drink coffee at any time round the clock with milk or cream, sugar, pastries, with brandy or cognac.
In the morning Finns prefer coffee with milk or just milk and kefir.
Milk dishes in Finland
Their favorite dairy foods are cheese and curdled milk. They like to add to many dishes an unusual sweet-sour milk product “viili”.
Pastry in Finland
Pastry is very popular in Finland: the table is always served up with black rye-bread and white bread with butter, yeast rolls “pulla”.