WILD, WEIRD & WONDERFUL
S A M I
T A L L B E R G
W I L D, W E I R D & WO N D E R F U L F I N N I S H
C U I S I N E
T O D A Y
Contents 6 Introduction 9 Finnish wild food 10 Northern dimension 14 Special fearures, traditions and innovation 17 Pike Braised in Birch Sap with Summer Vegetables 18 Spring nature full of delicacies 21 Deep Fried Nettle Leaves 24 A promise of a new start 27 Wild Mushrooms and Leek on Toast 28 Blazed Whitefish with Wild Herb Salad 30 A season of luxury for food enthusiasts 34 Raw Vegetables with Horseradish 37 Grilled Whitefish and Egg Sauce 38 Pork Sausage with Grilled Onions 41 Steamed Asparagus with Dry-Cured Ham 42 Grilled Whole Perch 45 New Potatoes with Gravlax 46 Summer Vegetable Soup 49 Emmental-Breaded Pork Schnitzel with Gardener’s Salad 51 Bilberry Milk 52 Strawberries and Green Tomatoes with Camomile and Basil
54 Keeping the gardeners, foragers and food conservers busy 56 Whipped Raspberry Pudding 59 Wild Rose and Lingonberry Smoothie 60 Drying Mushrooms 63 Roasted Beetroot and Blue Cheese with Honey 64 Pot-Roasted Pheasant with Parsnip and Tarragon 67 Baked Porridge with Blackcurrants and Honey 68 Lamb with Dill 70 Vendace Roe on Toast 71 Cep and Wild Herb Salad 72 When nature is at rest 75 Fried Vendace or Baltic Herring with Pounded Potatoes 76 Karelian Hot Pot 78 Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Potato Flat Bread and Caviar 81 Sustainable development is important for Finns 82 Lunch at work 82 Free school meal 84 Meatballs with Brown Gravy and Cauliflower 86 Grains of various types 88 Cinnamon Rolls 90 Sultsina 93 Traditional cafés and innovative Finnish food
94 Beer culture 97 Eggs and Anchovies on Toast 98 Aladobi Meat Jelly with Islander’s Bread and Mustard 100 Healthy, colourful ingredients 102 Hunting – entertainment and cultural value 104 Roast of Venison, Elk and Reindeer with Root Vegetables and Savory Rye Groats 106 Organic and local food 108 Urban farming 111 Home Made Cheese with Spinach and Fried Egg 112 Health and wellbeing with nutrition recommendations 113 Everyday classics 114 Smoked Ham and Tinned Roach 117 Janssons Frestelse with Marinated Beetroot 118 Food safety and purity is our asset 120 Wild Fish Ceviche with Sea Buckthorn, Radish and Cucumber 123 Pan Seared Perch with Chanterelles and Peas 124 Elk Tartare 127 Garden Angelica Posset with Sea Buckthorn Honey 128 Thank You!
Copyright © 2013 Sami Tallberg & Kirjakaari, Jyväskylä Translation: Jaana Etula Photography by Liisa Valonen (except for page 24: Wikimedia Commons and page 103: Tommi Anttonen) Photography design: Sami Tallberg · Tableware: Pentik · Graphic design: Jukka Aalto · Armadillo Graphics isbn 978-952-5969-37-5 Printed by Saarijärven Offset Oy 2013
Introduction The Finnish food culture is full of
Today, producers – growers, fishers and hunters – together with our wild nature provide an abundant supply of unique and healthy, top-quality ingredients for everybody to enjoy. People come to experience our nature and taste our exceptional ingredients from all over the world. Finnish delicacies are also exported.
regional traditions,
Our food culture is very vivid, and there are plenty of active people who are
most of which are
constantly reshaping it. Indeed, our food culture is evolving every day with
known throughout the country. But gourmet cuisine in Finland is no
robust steps typical of us Finns. People have begun to question what we eat, and it is important to know where and from what kind of conditions food comes from. We are also more and more concerned about the environmental effects of food.
more than a hundred
Finnish food culture today is a part of a larger Nordic food movement that is
years old, and it has
largely about authentic, natural food and wild ingredients. This movement
traditionally been
has attracted international attention over the past decade. More and more
the rich who have appreciated food in a gastronomic sense. However, the idea
Finns have begun to appreciate local delicacies that are clearly better than the mediocre imported foods. The role that wild nature plays in our food culture is a story of its own. My friend and a Finnish food pioneer, Eeropekka Rislakki, will tell his version of the story over the page. I must say that I fully agree with him. Finnish wild food is
of culinary culture
a specialty that deserves our fullest attention. And best of all, there is nearly
as something that
an endless supply of it at hand.
belongs to a small
I hope this book will inspire everybody interested in Finnish food – whether
group of people only is
Finnish or non-Finnish – to enjoy and appreciate our traditional foods even
now changing.
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more. And thanks to the wonderful ingredients, we also have the possibility to create completely new Finnish food.
To you reader, I also have a friendly request to make: challenge people working in the food industry and ask them to help you select local and seasonal, quality food. In the Finnish food culture, there should be more emphasis on seasonal food and we should be ever more eager to celebrate these food seasons. We have plenty of reasons to celebrate like we do in the Suonenjoki Strawberry Carnival and the Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair. I want to make a special thanks to the team behind the ruokatieto.fi website, from whom I borrowed a lot of information used in this book. On the website, there is some information in English, and a lot to learn about Finnish food if you know Finnish. I recommend you check it out! Our cooperation is a good example of the fact that we, as influencers in the food business, can together take our unique food culture forward and make it more known in Finland and all over the world. Sami Tallberg Wild Food Specialist / ELO-Foundation Helsinki 2013
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Finnish wild food
At the core of our food culture, there are plenty of elements from the time before civilization. However, all the basic ingredients in our food culture that are tokens of civilization are taken from other cultures: wheat from the Mediterranean region, potatoes from South America and rice from Asia.
The distinctiveness of the Finnish
Only food that is gathered or hunted is our own! We are the
food culture derives from our strong
only EU country to grant licenses to hunt bear and permit the
hunting and gathering culture. And terroir, the special characteristics of our soil and climate that have created our range of plants and wildlife: flora and fauna.
sale of bear meat. It’s a cliché, but we have that age-old relationship with nature that others have lost long ago. While others breed their livestock and farm their fish, we hunt and fish. While others artificially grow fruit or mushrooms in greenhouses using chemicals, we pick wild berries and mushrooms in the forest. While others go to a hotel for a holiday, we go to our summer cabin or backpacking in the wilderness. Or if we, for some reason, don’t have the possibility to do all this, we can always enjoy the fruits of hunting and gathering: welcome to the Farmers’ Market. The ancient Romans seemed to have valid information about us: Barbarians! All of them! As Tacitus (55–120 A.D.) wrote: “In wonderful savageness live the nation of the Fenni, and in beastly poverty, destitute of arms, of horses, and of homes; their food, the common herbs; their apparel, skins; their bed, the earth”. But this is the whole point of the story. At the core of our food culture, there’s something that others have long lost and now want to have back. We have something that goes beyond organic. We have wild food that reminds us of ancient times, times before civilization that is tied to agriculture. It’s not just something natural, it’s the nature itself. Wild nature.
Eeropekka rislakki
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Northern dimension
Challenges and possibilities for agriculture
Finland is the northernmost agricultural country in the world. Short summers and low temperatures limit the number of crops that thrive in Finland. The growing season lasts approximately 26 weeks in southern Finland and a mere 15 weeks in the north of the country. Summer frost, dryness or, alternatively, excessive rains are also great challenges.
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However, our geographical location is also an advantage.
Everyman’s Rights in Brief
Long summer days and nights when the sun doesn’t set at all load the greens and herbs with extra aroma, colour and
YOU MAY
- especially the berries - with extra nutrients. Some of the
• walk ski or cycle freely in the countryside, except in the immediate vicinity of people’s homes, or in fields and gardens which could be easily damaged
plants and berries take the most out of the light and warmth and grow during the night as well as the daytime. Similarly, the cold winter is not only a negative thing. Frost helps keep the soil free of pests and plant diseases. Vegetable cultivars in our country have adapted, and they’re also purposely bred, to northern conditions. The climate also sets the framework for animal husbandry. Forests cover two thirds of Finland’s land mass. The forests provide an abundant supply of food typical of our northern location and climate: forest berries, mushrooms and game. They are infused with the flavours of the northern latitudes.
• stay or set up camp temporarily in the countryside, a reasonable distance from homes • pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers • fish with a rod and line • use boats or swim in inland waters and the sea • walk on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea YOU MAY NOT • disturb people or damage property
To be able to savour the delights of self-picked food is a Finn-
• disturb game animals, breeding birds or their nests
ish specialty thanks to the Everyman’s Rights tradition.
• cut down or damage trees • collect moss, lichen or wood on other people’s property • disturb the privacy of people’s homes • leave litter • drive motor vehicles off road without the landowner’s permission • fish or hunt without the relevant permits
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Special fearures, traditions and innovation In the Finnish food culture, there are many special features and habits, such as drinking milk at meals, celebrating the season of new potatoes and hunting false morels in the spring. Nearly everybody eats garden strawberries throughout the summer, and they certainly are one of the most popular of our seasonal delicacies. Other specialties are, for example, the following: rosvopaisti or “robber’s roast” (meat cooked in a pit), kaskinauris (heirloom variety of turnip adapted for slash-andburn cultivation), cinnamon rolls, mämmi (Easter dessert), nuotiopulla (sweet bun cooked over open fire), viili (Finnish curd milk), salmiak liquorice, tar used as a seasoning.
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Although Finnish food is a mixture of different influences, the eastern, western, northern and southern regions also have their own traditional foods. The traditions of eastern Finland reflect the influence of Russia, while the western regions have been influenced by Scandinavian food culture. Northern Finland is a gastronomic region of its own with its Sami traditions. Wild plants, reindeer meat, game, cloudberries and Finnish squeaky cheese are distinguishing features of the northern cuisine. All reindeer meat produced in Finland comes from the north. Southern cuisine is a mixture of the traditions of other regions with its own specialties. Karelian Hot Pot from Lappeenranta, Islander’s Bread from Porvoo and the various Baltic herring dishes from Helsinki are typically southern.
One of our specialty drinks is birch sap, which can also be made into sparkling sap or sparkling wine. Today, Finnish culinary culture, which is still fairly young, is changing all over the country through innovation. Thanks to this innovative thinking, the following things are part of our food culture: berry wines, small-scale cheese factories and breweries, using dairy cattle for meat when milk production ends, collecting birch sap and making it into sparkling wine, lingonberry ketchup, pike hot dog. Several organisations all over Finland have begun to explore and promote the use of wild herbs, which means better utilisation of local wild ingredients. Adding wild herbs into traditional dishes adds to flavour and colour of the food. We can even promote Finland to tourists with wild herbs.
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Pike Braised in Birch Sap with Summer Vegetables
4 pike fillets (à 200 g), deboned fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tbs chopped tarragon 50 g butter 500 ml birch sap (or fish or chicken stock) 1 dl white wine 2 dl whipping cream 4 tbs chopped fresh herbs (for example chives and chervil that go well with tarragon) 400 g seasonal vegetables (in the picture: freshly picked green beans and curly kale, blanched and quickly sautéed in butter)
Pike is a common fish in Finland, both in the sea and the numerous lakes. Its flesh has a mild flavour, but intense seasoning brings out its distinctive taste. In this recipe I’ve used reduced birch sap, tarragon and plenty of salt. Practically all Finnish vegetables, chosen according to the season, go well with the delicate flavoured pike.
Season the fish fillets with salt, pepper and tarragon a day before cooking to allow the seasoning soak into the flesh. Place a light weight on top and refrigerate. Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the fish on either side. Add the wine, let boil for 2 minutes and add the sap. Continue boiling over a fairly high heat until the fish is just cooked. Remove the fish from the sauce and add the cream and the rest of the herbs. Quickly bring to a boil. Top the fish with the sauce and serve with seasonal vegetables.
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Spring nature full of delicacies When the snow has finally melted, you start to feel like having new season vegetables. But because of the cold winter, it will take a while before the new crop emerges. So while waiting, wild edible plants and herbs make a delicious and environmentally friendly addition to your diet.
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The green supermarket of nature is there for everybody. It offers healthy, easy-to-use, nutritious and tasty food. Wild herbs can be used in the home, institutional or restaurant kitchen. Year after year, there are more and more people who pick wild plants professionally, selling them to restaurants. Vocational training in picking wild plants is given in Kiuruvesi, for example. Over the past few years, Finnish chefs have found the long lost-tradition of utilising wild herbs. Earlier, these herbs were used for medicinal purposes, as well as for food. When Finland was at war, soldiers learned how to utilise what nature had to offer.
Wild herbs have huge nutritional value and great taste – and they offer all this with nearly zero carbon footprint! There’s a vast array of edible plants in Finland, and about a hundred of them are suitable for culinary purposes.
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Deep Fried Nettle Leaves In Finland, nettle is in season twice a year, in the spring and late summer. Use it as you would spinach leaves. This simple snack is a wow-factor, time after time.
2 l nettle leaves 1 l rapeseed oil ½ tbs fine sea salt
Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 180°c. Fry the leaves in small batches until crispy. The leaves turn translucent, but the colour should stay green. Remove the leaves with a draining spoon and drain on a kitchen towel to remove the excess fat and to keep the leaves crispy. Season with salt and serve as such or mix in with salads.
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SPRING A promise of a new start False morel is one of our national delicacies. These mushrooms that have to be carefully processed appear on the surface in forests where the forest floor has been broken, for example by a harvester. The mycelium of false morel mushrooms needs this disturbance
In addition to Finland, false morels are eaten in Russia. In
to yield a delicious crop.
other parts of the world they are not considered edible. Finland, too, nearly banned the sales of these mushrooms because of their toxicity. False morels are lethally toxic if eaten raw, that’s why they have to be parboiled carefully. You can use this top-quality ingredient for several types of dishes. The delicate flavour of these mushrooms goes well with fish, meat, game and vegetables. As the spring advances, the first garden vegetables – whitefleshed turnips, carrots and cucumbers – appear. They are perfect eaten raw.
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Wild Mushrooms and Leek on Toast Use any edible wild mushrooms for this dish. In the picture, I’ve used false morel.
100 g butter 1 bay leaf 400 g wild mushrooms, cleaned 2 medium leeks; shredded, washed and dried 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed ½ dl white wine 2 dl whipping cream 3–4 tbs chopped parsley a couple of thyme sprigs
In a frying pan, brown the butter and bay leaf, then add the mushrooms and let brown over a high heat. Add the leek and garlic, allow to soften and pour in the wine. Simmer for a couple of minutes and finally add the cream, parsley and thyme. Allow to simmer until creamy. Serve on toast.
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Blazed Whitefish with Wild Herb Salad Blazing is the most impressive way of cooking wild whitefish. Because of the low cooking temperature, the fish stays succulent, and you’ll get an authentic smoky flavour from the open fire. Notice that you can eat the fish by hand, straight from the planks where it’s been cooked. That’s when it tastes especially delicious!
Whitefish 4 fillets of wild whitefish 50 g melted butter 2 tsp coarse sea salt freshly ground black pepper 8 wooden pegs Salad 4 handfuls of edible wild herbs, washed and dried 4 tbs rapeseed oil 4 tsp white wine vinegar (or sea buckthorn juice) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brush the fish fillets with the butter. A traditional method is to use a juniper branch for brushing. Season the fillets with the salt and black pepper. Using coarse salt may seem odd but this is absolutely essential. Place the fillets on top of wooden planks, skin-side down. With a traditional puukko knife, cut small holes at each end of the fish fillets, with the wood grain. Nail the fish with wooden pegs through the holes using a firewood log, then place the planks in a vertical position by the fire. Allow to cook until juicy (10-15 minutes), brushing once more with butter. It’s easy to estimate how far the fish should be from the fire: Just place the planks 10-20 cm from the fire. If you can hold your hand between the planks and the fire for 20 seconds, the distance is just right. When the fish is still juicy and translucent from the inside (which is before the white albumin coagulates on the surface), place the planks in a horizontal position, remove the pegs and plate the fish. Mix salad ingredients together in a bowl and serve straight away with the fish fillets.
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SUMMER A season of luxury for food enthusiasts Thanks to the Finnish soil and climate, our new potatoes are a unique seasonal treat. Traditionally, the freshly dug new potatoes are served with melted butter and conserved fish such as brined herring, pickled Baltic herring and gravlax. Not to forget our unofficial national herb, dill. New potatoes, false morel and smoked bacon on the same plate also makes a delicious early summer classic.
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In the summer, the fields and gardens are full of colour and they produce an abundant crop. In the summertime, we can spoil ourselves with one hundred percent Finnish ingredients for several months. Who needs imported food now? Fresh vegetables are either fermented or pickled in the early days of summer. Peas and other legumes are frozen freshly picked so that they will keep their sweetness. The highly aromatic herbs, grown in the lightness of Finnish summer, are either used fresh or dried. Mushrooms that emerge in the summer, such as chanterelles and ceps, are pickled, dried or frozen to be used in the autumn or during the long winter months. Everybody feasts on bilberries in Finland. Currants, gooseberries and raspberries are also a staple part of Finnish diet. Cloudberries are picked in wetlands in the late summer. The bustling market squares throughout the country are full of our forest and garden delicacies. Lingonberry is the most sold wild berry in Finland, while bilberry comes second in popularity. About ten million kilos of each are sold every year. In the summer, Finnish people spend a lot of their time in summer cabins where food is usually cooked outside, over open fire. “Rosvopaisti”, roast meat cooked in a pit in the ground, is one of the summertime delicacies. Blazed fish is another specialty, perfect when cooked at the summer cabin.
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Raw Vegetables with Horseradish Finns eat lots of vegetables as such or, even more commonly, simply grated. Any roots or vegetables can be used for this dish. The most important thing is to choose quality ingredients – preferably organic. Reduce the amount of horseradish and call the dish “rocket veggies” and children will love it, too.
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400 g vegetables (carrot, little gem lettuce, turnip, pickling cucumber), peeled if needed and washed 4 tbs rapeseed oil 4 tbs mild mustard 2 tbs sea buckthorn juice 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed 4 tbs chopped dill 4 tbs dill leaves, torn plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a small piece of horseradish
Mix everything together in a bowl and leave for 15 minutes before serving. Finish the plates with generous heaps of grated (and peeled) horseradish. Use a fine grater to release the root’s bite and beautiful aroma.
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Grilled Whitefish and Egg Sauce Grilling wild fish over open fire is a traditional Finnish cooking method. Grated egg, browned butter and chives with the tender flavoured whitefish is a match made in heaven.
Whitefish 2 whole medium-sized wild white fish, scaled (approx. 700 g) fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Season the fish and cook over open fire until juicy. At home, it’s best to cook the fish on a dry cast-iron pan sprinkled with coarse sea salt.
Sauce 4 boiled eggs (9 minutes, see p. 70 for instructions), peeled and grated 100 g warm, browned butter 2 tbs white wine vinegar 4 tbs chopped chives (you can also add fresh, frozen or dried edible flowers if available) fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix the sauce ingredients together and serve as such.
Debone the cooked fish and remove the fillets using a spoon.
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Pork Sausage with Grilled Onions Sausages are a fundamental part of Finnish culture. Usually we eat industrial, cooked sausages, but I recommend fresh sausages because they’re juicy and delicious and a great way of utilising all the cuts of meat, including the organs.
4 fresh sausages (à 150 g) 2 onions with leaves, halved fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbs rapeseed oil
Tightly coil the sausages into separate spirals and skewer them to secure. Brush the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sausages and onions on the barbecue or in a frying pan until cooked and golden brown on either side. Serve with mash and – naturally - a beer.
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Steamed Asparagus with Dry-Cured Ham The asparagus season in Finland is short with scarce availability. There are only a few growers, but it’s well worthwhile hunting down this delicacy with an arctic aroma. In the picture, I’ve used dry-cured pig’s cheeks but smoked pork belly, dry-cured pork collar or reindeer meat are just as good.
500 g green asparagus (no need to peel), the woody end cut off diagonally 25 g butter, melted fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 120 g dry-cured ham or similar, finely sliced
Boil the asparagus in salted water until crisp-tender, for about 3–5 minutes depending on their thickness. Drain well, toss with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place the meat on top of the asparagus and serve hot.
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Grilled Whole Perch Ascetic but delicious summer cottage food even for the most demanding of guests. Serve with new potatoes and peas or summer vegetable soup (p. 46). Also good as such.
2 large perch (approx. 700 g each in the picture), scaled and gutted, gills removed 1 tbs coarse sea salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 bunch of dill with stems, roughly chopped 60 g melted butter
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Make two long cuts inside the fish on either side of the spinal cord. Season the fish inside with salt, pepper and dill. (Pictured below) Brush the fish with butter inside out and, using a hinged gridiron, grill the fish over an open fire for about 10 minutes on either side.
Just before serving, throw a couple of juniper branches in the fire; they’ll give the fish a wild, piquant flavour.
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New Potatoes with Gravlax New potatoes or virgin potatoes are one of the most appreciated seasonal treats in Finland. Butter, salt and pepper is all the seasoning they need. Served with the potatoes, another national delicacy, gravlax, gives you a completely new range of amazing flavours.
Gravlax 500 g centre cut salmon fillet, deboned (leave the skin on to make slicing the fish easier) 2 tbs coarse sea salt 2 tbs brown sugar 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
Sprinkle the salt, sugar and fennel on the fish and wrap it in cling film. Place a weight on top and refrigerate for 48 hours.
Potatoes 400 g new potatoes fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a handful of dill, with stems
Boil the potatoes in water seasoned with salt and dill.
200 g gravlax, thinly sliced on the bias 1 dl dill leaves, roughly torn 50 g melted butter (mixed with 1 tsp sea buckthorn juice)
Slice the potatoes, plate the slices and place the gravlax, torn dill and butter on top.
Quickly rinse the fish under running water, dry with a towel and cut as thinly as possible.
Drain the potatoes and put back on the stove, turning them around for about 15 seconds to get rid of the remaining water. The texture of the potatoes will now turn from wet to fluffy.
Add a dash of whole grain mustard, if you like.
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Summer Vegetable Soup The summer vegetable soup is a perfect example of the simplicity of Finnish cooking. In this case, extra fresh, high-quality ingredients are a necessity to make this dish work.
4 medium carrots, scraped and sliced (scraping brings out the sweetness of the carrots) 2 dl fresh podded peas 200 g new potatoes, washed and cut in half lengthwise 1 medium cauliflower, with leaves, thinly sliced (trim off the outer part of the stem) ½ l chicken stock (or 3 dl whipping cream and 2 dl milk) ½ l milk fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper lots of thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves For finishing 2 tbs chopped parsley 1 tbs chopped chives 1 tbs chopped dill 4 tbs torn dill leaves butter
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Place the ingredients, except for peas and carrots, in a saucepan and let simmer for fifteen minutes. Then add the peas and carrots and allow to cool down for another fifteen minutes. Bring to a boil and mix in the herbs. Serve with rye bread (p. 114), butter and Finnish lager. Add a knob of butter on top of each serving.
Emmental-Breaded Pork Schnitzel with Gardener’s Salad This dish combining the strong, aged Emmental cheese, sweet pork and piquant salad dressing is an example of ordinary Finnish food – with a kitchen gardener’s touch.
4 pork sirloin steaks (à 150 g), flattened 1 dl plain flour sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 eggs, lightly beaten 400 g aged Emmental cheese (Mustaleima), mixed with 2 tbs plain flour
Season the schnitzels with salt and pepper. Dredge the schnitzels in the plain flour, then dip into the beaten eggs and finally into the cheese-flour mixture. Pat with your hands to make sure the cheese sticks onto the meat.
For frying 100 g butter 1 dl rapeseed oil
Fry the schnitzels, a couple at a time, in butter-oil mixture on both sides until crispy and golden brown.
Salad 300 g different varieties of salad leaves, herbs and edible flowers according to season and availability (in the picture: sorrel, baby parsnip leaves, young sprouts of various cabbages, pot marigold petals and anise hyssop flowers)
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and mix in with the salad.
Place the schnitzels on kitchen paper to drain the excess fat.
Dressing ¾ dl rapeseed oil ½ dl mild mustard 2 tbs sea buckthorn juice sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Bilberry Milk Bilberry is the number one superfood in Finland. With fresh bilberries, all you need is a dollop of milk and - if you like - a spoonful of sugar to bring out the unique and healthy flavour. You can also serve other Finnish berries with milk; why not even make a mix. There are more than 50 types of edible berries in Finland, so there’s plenty to choose from. Whether young or old, all Finns love this mid to late summer treat. Pineappleweed, violets, rugosa rose petals and common toadflax flowers are wild herbs that match up with bilberry milk as for flavour and looks. 400 g fresh bilberries 8 dl milk (2 tbs sugar) Place the ingredients in bowls and serve – as simple as that.
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Strawberries and Green Tomatoes with Camomile and Basil There are several varieties of garden strawberries in Finland: sour ones, sweet ones, and some even taste almost like wild strawberries. Green tomatoes and strawberries that resemble wild strawberries, together with the aromatic camomile and basil, make a delicious fruit salad.
Strawberries 400 g small garden strawberries, whole, tops cut off 2 dl water 1 tbs dried camomile flowers ½ dl runny honey
Prepare a tea from the water and camomile flowers, sweeten it with honey and sieve to discard the flowers.
Tomatoes 200 g green tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces 2 dl water ½ dl honey ½ bunch of basil leaves
For the marinade, place the water and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then run in a blender with the basil leaves. Pour the marinade in with the tomatoes and allow to marinate for a couple of hours.
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Infuse the strawberries with the tea for a couple of hours before serving.
Serve the strawberries and tomatoes together with the marinades. Add a couple of spoonfuls of cream cheese on top and garnish with purple basil, for example.
AUTUMN Keeping the gardeners, foragers and food conservers busy In the early autumn, there’s an abundance of food in the fields and gardens, and dozens of delicious wild mushrooms can be found in forests. People come to Finland to pick mushrooms all the way from Italy and even Japan. In Finland, the autumn is the best season for seasonal food, and a large number people become busy gathering and preserving. People feast on the fresh berries and mushrooms. This is also the time for trawling vendace and collecting vendace roe – a world class delicacy.
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Whipped Raspberry Pudding I used fresh garden raspberries and raspberry juice in this recipe, but you can prepare a whipped pudding using lingonberries, redcurrants, or even bilberries instead. When making whipped pudding, the idea is to create a fluffy, meringuelike texture. The end result is actually more like a foam than a heavy pudding. A dollop of milk takes this dish to a whole new level.
1 l strong raspberry juice 3 dl semolina 1 dl sugar (if the juice is tart) ¼ tsp fine sea salt 4 dl fresh raspberries (2 dl for the pudding and 2 dl for garnish) 4 dl cold milk edible flowers
Pour the juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the semolina and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Place the pudding in a cold water bath and allow to cool until it reaches 50°c, approximately. Add in 2 dl fresh raspberries and beat with an electric mixer until the pudding cools down completely and turns pink in colour. Serve cold with milk and fresh raspberries. Garnish the dish with edible flowers. I’ve used cornflower and signet marigold flowers in the picture.
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Wild Rose and Lingonberry Smoothie The tart flavour of lingonberries and the aromatic sweetness of rugosa rose make a surprisingly tasty combination, just try it! The flavour of rugosa rose goes well with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and bilberries, too.
2 ½ dl lingonberries (fresh or frozen) 4 dl natural yoghurt 80 rugosa rose petals (fresh or frozen), save 4 for garnish ½ dl runny honey 1 dl elderflower juice, apple juice or white currant juice
Place all the ingredients in a blender and run at full speed for about a minute or until velvety. Pour into glasses and garnish with chopped rugosa rose petals.
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Drying Mushrooms All mushrooms that don’t require parboiling can be dried as such. If needed, cut them in smaller pieces and place in a dehydrator. Allow to dry at 55°c until they are crispy-dry throughout. When cooled down, transfer the mushrooms to airtight jars for future usage.
Pickling liquid 1 l water 6 dl white wine vinegar 30 g fine sea salt 300 g white sugar 1 tbs mustard seeds 1 bay leaf 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
With this basic recipe, you can pickle all vegetables and mushrooms for the winter. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the vegetables (cut if necessary) to cover them completely, allow to cool for 15 minutes and close the jar. Store in the fridge for one week before opening to allow the vegetables marinate well. They’ll keep for one year. Note: You’ll need a large, airtight jar, presterilised in the oven at 150°c for 30 minutes.
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Roasted Beetroot and Blue Cheese with Honey Whole roasted beets, blue cheese and runny honey make a tasty combination. Why not prepare this easy dish together with children.
12 medium beetroots, washed 200 g blue cheese 4-6 tbs runny honey fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the whole beetroots on a roasting tray and bake at 200°c for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Cut the hot beets in two, lengthwise. Plate the beets, season with salt and pepper and add the blue cheese on top. Finish with the honey and serve immediately.
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Pot-Roasted Pheasant with Parsnip and Tarragon In addition to the wild birds in Finland, pheasants are also reared and then released into nature for hunters to catch. Pheasant meat is lean, so it has to be cooked at a low heat to keep it deliciously moist. The subtle flavoured parsnips compliment the delicate pheasant meat, taking it to a whole new level. The cream adds to juiciness while the tarragon and mustard add perfume.
Stage 1 8 pheasant legs sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut lengthwise into four pieces and the woody core cut off 50 g butter 1 l chicken stock 4 bay leaves, preferably fresh 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly crushed a small bunch of fresh thyme ½ bottle white wine
Season the pheasant legs and parsnip with salt and pepper. In a cast-iron pan or pot, brown the legs and parsnips on either side with butter. The browned butter brings a nutty flavour to the dish, but be careful not to burn it.
2 tbs 2 dl 4 tbs 2 tbs
Add the mustard, parsley, tarragon and cream and bring to a boil.
Stage 2 whole grain mustard whipping cream chopped parsley chopped tarragon
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Add the wine and the rest of the ingredients and boil until there’s one third of the wine left. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down low so that the liquid barely simmers and cook for a couple of hours. The meat should now be so tender that it practically falls off the bone.
Baked Porridge with Blackcurrants and Honey Cooked barley and whipping cream make a heavenly baked porridge. You can use either pearl barley or steel-cut barley. Use a flat oven dish to get plenty of the delicious caramelised top. Serve with any berries you like, blackcurrants being one of the best.
8 dl cooked pearl barley or steel-cut barley 4 dl milk 8 dl whipping cream fine sea salt ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Mix all the ingredients and divide evenly into serving bowls. Bake in the oven at 200°c for about 15 minutes.
200 g blackcurrants 6 tbs runny honey
Serve with runny honey and berries. The berries used in the picture were frozen, so they were brought to a boil with the honey before serving.
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Lamb with Dill This is a classic with a modern touch. Traditionally, “lamb with dill” or “veal with dill” is braised meat that is served with a velouté seasoned with dill and vinegar. This bold version of the old classic is full of taste and colour and packed with rock attitude. The dish doesn’t take long to prepare. The meat seasoned with the aromatic dill and tangy lingonberries will delight even the most demanding of guests.
16 lamb chops, cleaned 1 dl rapeseed oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbs ground, dried lingonberries 1 bunch of dill, leaves torn
Season the chops with salt and pepper and brush with the oil. Grill over a high heat on both sides until medium: 1-3 minutes on each side. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Place the chops on a serving dish and sprinkle the dried lingonberries and dill leaves on top.
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Vendace Roe on Toast Besides the flesh, one may also utilize the eggs of Finnish fish. Fish roe is an easy-to-use and delicious treat – served on toast, for example. Roe is salted before use, and as to freshwater fish roe, it has to be frozen for one day to kill any potential tapeworm eggs. Place the toppings in bowls and toast the bread at the table à la minute. When each guest puts together their own toast, it stays warm and crispy.
4 slices of bread 200 g smetana sour cream 200 g vendace roe, defrosted 1 onion 2 eggs 1 bunch of dill salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the eggs in a saucepan in cold water and turn the heat on. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 7 minutes. Chill the eggs under cold running water, then peel and grate them using a large grater. Chop the onion and dill and put in separate bowls. You can serve the smetana as such. Toast the bread slices at the table à la minute.
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Cep and Wild Herb Salad This raw food dish from Finnish nature will make you say “Wow!” Preparing the dish couldn’t be easier and yet the salad is full of amazing flavours!
4 quality medium-sized cepes, thinly sliced 4 pieces of tender cattail core, sliced diagonally 1 large handful of edible wild plants, washed and dried fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ dl young, good quality, cold pressed rapeseed oil
Mix everything together in a bowl and plate the salad making a fluffy heap on each plate.
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WINTER
When nature is at rest
After the first autumn frosts, lingonberries, cranberries, rose hips, Jerusalem artichokes and Brussels sprouts are in season. They only get sweeter with the first frosts. The winter chanterelle also survives the first frosts. In the old days, fresh vegetables, potatoes and root vegetables were stored in cellars, but nowadays people have fridges instead. It’s easy to preserve and freeze local vegetables, berries and mushrooms for the winter.
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Fried Vendace or Baltic Herring with Pounded Potatoes By the sea, this dish is prepared using Baltic herring, but in the lake district the main ingredient is vendace. Both fish work well. This is probably one of the best of our classic dishes as long as the fish is bought and prepared fresh. You can season the pounded potatoes with different herbs, mustard, grated egg or diced, marinated cucumber.
Vendace or baltic herring 800 g vendace or baltic herring, gutted and dried with a kitchen towel 1 dl rye flour fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 150 g butter Pounded potatoes 600 g freshly boiled and pounded firm potatoes (with skin on in the summer and peeled in the winter) 75 g butter, melted 4 tbs chopped herbs (dill, parsley, chives) 2 tbs white wine vinegar
Roll the fish in rye flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fry with butter on both sides until crispy and golden brown. For the potatoes, mix all the ingredients and serve with either Baltic herring or vendace. Cucumber slices marinated with white vinegar and dill make a good side dish. Place the vinegar, water and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Allow to cool down. Mix all the ingredients and allow to marinate for a couple of hours before serving.
Marinated cucumber 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise using a mandoline or a wide peeler ½ bunch of dill with stalks, chopped ½ dl white vinegar 1 dl water ½ dl sugar
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Karelian Hot Pot Karelian hot pot is clearly the number one Finnish classic dish. All three meats used in the traditional version are on the bone, which means that the cooking liquid becomes extra tasty. Serve the dish with mashed or boiled potatoes. The wine and chicken stock are my additions to the dish, so if you feel like it, leave out the wine and replace the stock with water. In either case, the result will be tasty as long as you have the bones left!
250 g pork ribs, on the bone, cut into individual ribs 250 g shoulder of lamb, on the bone, cut into smaller pieces 250 g chuck roast of beef, on the bone, cut into smaller pieces 4 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise 4 onions, peeled and cut into quarters 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed a couple of thyme sprigs 4 bay leaves 100 g butter, melted fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 allspice berries, whole ½ bottle white wine 2 l chicken stock (for example Puljonki prepares quality stocks) Place all the ingredients in an oven dish and roast in the oven at 250°c until everything is beautifully browned. Add in the liquids: Place a lid or a sheet of aluminium foil on top of the pot and allow to cook at 150°c three to four hours, until the meat falls off the bone. Allow to rest for a couple of hours. Always better if you serve the dish the next day, reheated.
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Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Potato Flat Bread and Caviar In Finland, Jerusalem artichokes are in season twice a year: late summer and in the spring when the snow has melted. Jerusalem artichokes are laborious to peel, but the reward is a delicious dish whether you’re making a soup, salad or a side dish for wild fish. Finnish, ethically produced caviar is one of the best in the world. For example, the Danish restaurant NOMA is one of its regular buyers.
Soup 1 kg Jerusalem artichokes (keep the peeled artichokes in ice-cold lemon water with ½ dl lemon juice per 1 l water to prevent them from turning brown) 100 g butter 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 white part of leek, roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 15 thyme sprigs a couple of branches of parsley, with leaves 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh 2 dl white wine ½ l chicken stock 2 dl whipping cream sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Sweat the onions, leek, garlic, celery and herbs in butter for ten minutes, then add the wine and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and Jerusalem artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the artichokes are soft throughout. Purée in a blender until velvety and pour the soup back into the saucepan. Add the cream and bring to a boil again. Beat the soup using a hand blender just before serving to make it nice and frothy. Note: If the soup becomes too thick, add some water or chicken stock.
Potato flat bread 500 g mashed potato (starchy potatoes, boiled until soft and mashed) 2 dl milk 2 eggs 5 dl plain flour + ⅔ dl extra for the frying pan and on top of the bread 1 tsp fine sea salt 1 tsp baking powder 3 tbs melted butter for brushing the breads Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and flatten the dough onto a cast-iron pan sprinkled with some extra flour. Prick the top of the bread thoroughly with a fork. Brush the top with the butter and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Bake in the oven at 250°c for 5 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 200°c and bake another 5 minutes. 100 g caviar 4 tbs smetana sour cream 4 tsp roughly or finely chopped chives, or both Allow the flatbread to cool for 5 minutes. Break or cut it into smaller pieces and spread them with smetana. Finish with a spoonful of caviar and some chopped chives.
Sustainable development is important for Finns The central objective in the Finnish food production chain, at its all levels, is responsibility and sustainable development. This
The food production chain refers to all the stages through which food from the fields or nature ends up on our tables. Sustainability isn’t a simple concept, and therefore, more research on the subject is done all the time. The research results help us define common standards. Environmental sustainability means that harmful environmental effects of products or services are being minimized or controlled throughout their life cycle. Most of the environmental effects in food production are caused by farming. The most significant of these in Finnish farming are eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity. The environmental effects of farming are reduced through legislation and environmentally friendly practices such as
means that food production has to
creation of buffer zones and wetlands, maintenance of soil
be sustainable from a socio-political,
productivity, and diminishing the use of fertilizers and pesti-
economic and environmental point of view. Future food production will develop according to the natural resources available. Sustainability in the Finnish food production chain covers the following seven areas: environment,
cides. Organic farming has also expanded during the last decade and there still seems to be an increasing demand for it. Food waste is a problem at all levels of the food chain. Minimising food waste is an important part of environmental responsibility. Households, the number one source of avoidable waste, are being adviced to use food more efficiently and encouraged to buy it moderately. One way to diminish food waste at home is to have an empty-your-fridge day every few days.
animal welfare, product safety,
Nowadays, there are events that serve food made from
nutrition, welfare at work, local
ingredients that would otherwise have been thrown away.
welfare, economic responsibility.
This increases people’s awareness of the importance of the issue. At lunch restaurants and cafeterias at work, portion sizes are adjusted so that more food is given to those who ask for it, but plates won’t automatically be filled full to the brim. Serving food on a buffet is one solution.
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Lunch at work
A relaxing and inspiring break
Roughly one third of Finns dine in staff cafeterias every day. These meals have a huge role in the nutrition and health of working-age people. Important issues as regards staff cafeterias are easy availability of services and high nutritional value of the food served. Larger companies usually have their own staff cafeterias that share the same basic values as school catering. The meals are, of course, designed for adults, and the idea is to enjoy healthy food in a relaxed environment with your colleagues.
Free school meal
Health and equality
All Finnish schools have served free school meals since 1948. School meal is, above all, an equal opportunity for pupils to have healthy, balanced food. School meal is also a pedagogical tool: pupils learn eating manners and social skills during the lunch break. In order to enhance children’s health and to give them energy for school work, the composition of school meals is based on national dietary guidelines: of the children’s daily calorie intake, 55 % should be from carbohydrates, 30 % from fat and 15 % from protein. Fibre-rich foods are favoured whereas salt and animal fat are used moderately.
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Meatballs with Brown Gravy and Cauliflower Meatballs are one of the most popular foods eaten in Finnish homes. Typically they’re served with potato mash and raw lingonberries mashed with sugar or honey. I prepared a potato-free version with cauliflower. You can garnish the dish with edible flowers. In the picture, there’s nastritium flowers that have a mustardy flavour. Meatballs 2 onions, chopped 1 clove of garlic, chopped 25 g butter 600 g minced beef 1 egg 1 dl breadcrumbs 1 dl whipping cream 1 tbs chopped fresh thyme 2 allspice berries, crushed fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbs chopped chives
Sauté the onion and garlic in butter until softened and golden brown. With your hands, mix up the ingredients carefully and roll the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs. In a frying pan, fry the meatballs with butter, then cook in the oven at 225°c for about 10 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and finish with the chopped chives.
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Cauliflower 1 medium to large cauliflower, cut into 1 cm thick slices (you can also use any small bits and the leaves with the back part of the stalk trimmed off) ½ l milk 50 g butter a couple of fresh thyme sprigs 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 bay leaf (preferably fresh) fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for five minutes or until the cauliflower is soft throughout. I recommend you to turn the cauliflower slices once while cooking. Drain off the excess milk, but save about 1 dl of it for the brown gravy.
Brown gravy 6 dl chicken stock 1 dl white wine 1 bay leaf 1 garlic clove, roughly crushed a couple of fresh thyme sprigs 50 g plain flour 50 g butter 2 dl whipping cream 1 dl cauliflower cooking liquid Pour the wine into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about three minutes, add the chicken stock and the seasoning and bring to a boil again. In a large frying pan, brown the flour over a maximum heat, stirring occasionally, until the colour of the flour is dark brown. This will take some time, so don’t fall into despair. Add in the butter and stir until the flour and the butter form a smooth paste. Allow to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the seasoning from the chicken stock, pour it in with the flour-butter mixture stirring constantly until the gravy becomes smooth and thickened. Add the cream and the milk used for boiling the cauliflower. Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a boil. Finish with chopped chives and serve with hot, boiled cauliflower.
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Grains of various types The diverse bread and pasty culture
Four cereals are grown in Finland: rye, wheat, barley and oats. They are all used for bread making, rye bread being the most common of Finnish breads. In Lapland, potatoes and barley are used for making flatbread, whereas eastern Finland is well-known for its pasty culture.
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Although the regional differences of our food culture have been fading along with industrialization and urbanization, and the supermarkets offer the same products throughout the country, the selection of bread still varies from region to region. This is all thanks to the small local bakeries.
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Cinnamon Rolls Baking is still popular in Finnish homes, and cinnamon rolls are an all time favourite – why not, they fill the home with the sweet scent of cinnamon. For many of us, eating a cinnamon roll with a glass of milk is a golden childhood memory, and that’s why we still have to have them as adults, too. Besides coffee, cinnamon rolls also taste great served with chaga mushroom tea, as in the picture. Chaga mushroom tea is sold in most natural health food stores as an easy-to use, instant version.
Dough 40 g fresh yeast 5 ½ dl lukewarm milk 190 g strongly salted butter 2 eggs 150 g sugar 1 tbs ground cardamom 1 kg plain flour (+ 50 g for the baking surface)
In a bowl, mix the yeast with the milk to activate it. In another bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and add them to the milk-yeast mixture in three parts, mixing constantly. Knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the bowl. Let the dough rise under a kitchen towel in a warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Spread some flour on the baking surface, divide the dough into two halves and roll the halves into 1 cm thick rectangles.
Filling 250 g unsalted butter, cold, sliced as thinly as possible 125 g brown sugar (muscovado and demerara are both good) 4 tbs ground cinnamon
Spread the filling as evenly as possible on the rectangles. Tightly roll up the dough, starting from the long side. Cut the roll diagonally (pictured opposite) into pieces and place them, point up, on a baking tray covered with baking sheet. With your thumb, press the centre of each roll all the way down so that it keeps its shape in the oven. Let rise for 15 more minutes under a kitchen towel.
Brushing 1 egg, lightly beaten
Brush each roll with the egg and bake in the oven at 180°c for at least 15 minutes until they are golden brown.
Syrup 1 dl brown sugar 1 dl water 1 tsp sea buckthorn juice
Place the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and allow to boil for one minute, then set aside. Brush the freshly baked rolls with the syrup and allow to cool for ten minutes.
Sultsina Karelian pasties are more popular in Finland than sultsinas, but I don’t understand why. Sultsina is the crispier of these two, and that’s why I think it’s more delicious. The filling also stays deliciously moist.
Filling 1 dl short grain rice 1 dl water 1 l milk ½ tsp fine sea salt 50 g butter
For the filling place the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, add the rice and the salt and mix. Add the milk. Allow to simmer over a very low heat until the rice is fully cooked (approx. 35 minutes). Stir in the butter and let cool.
Rye Dough 3 dl rye flour 1 dl whole wheat flour 1 dl plain flour (+ extra for rolling) 2 ½ dl water 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tbs rapeseed oil 2 dl milk 30 g melted butter
For the dough mix the dry ingredients and add the water. Knead the dough until firm, then mix in the oil.
Egg Butter 3 boiled eggs, grated (9 minutes, see p. 70 for instructions) 100 g soft butter fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbs chopped chives 1 tbs chopped dill 1 tbs chopped parsley
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With a rolling pin, form thin circles a few millimetres thick (approx. 10 circles). Spread some filling on top of each circle and roll up tightly. Brush with melted butter-milk mixture and bake in the oven at 200°c, or in a brick oven, until the sultsinas are cooked and golden brown (approx. 10 minutes).
For the egg butter, mix all the ingredients in a bowl until they form a paste.
Traditional cafés and innovative Finnish food The Finnish café and restaurant scene today is more vivid than ever before. Our vibrant café culture is more than a hundred years old.
Finnish people are among the biggest coffee consumers in the world. We drink a tremendous three cups of coffee per person every day. Besides coffee, Finnish cafés serve teas, smoothies, pasties, sweet buns, cakes and salads, for example. A coffee with a doughnut, enjoyed at a market square is very typically Finnish. In the largest of our cities, there are cafés that roast and blend their own coffees. Ambitious young baristas want to do things well, right from the scratch. Our restaurant culture, which is still fairly young, has experienced a true renaissance over the past ten years. At the same time, eating out has become a normal, everyday thing to do while old, formal customs have relaxed. Various ethnic cuisines are well represented in Finland. The strongest restaurant trends at the moment are “Nordic food” and “bistro cuisine”. The top restaurants in our country buy their ingredients from local producers or gatherers. This is the first step to seasonal, good quality food.
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Beer culture The traditional lager and new beers
Beer is a perfect drink in the Finnish dinner table. It makes an excellent match with new potatoes, cured fish, meat hotpots, traditional Christmas dishes and the numerous foods cured in vinegar that are difficult to match with any wine. It’s a natural choice when enjoying Finnish food.
Combining food with beer in the Finnish festive and dinner table has
Finnish lagers have won several international beer awards, which indicates the high standard of our beer culture. It’s
elevated beer into the same rank
the traditional lager-type beers that you usually find when
with wine. Drinks that combine well
buying draught beer, but the selection of draught beers has
with Finnish food are part of the unique food culture that depicts
expanded enormously over the past few years. There’s also a large number of special beers available for the beer enthusiasts to enjoy.
today’s Finnishness.
In Finland, breweries that produce fewer than 10 million litres of beer annually are called microbreweries. The Association of Finnish Microbreweries has 21 member companies spread all over the country. As regards microbreweries, beer brewing in Finland is an ever expanding field of business. Delicious, new beers are made all the time, and inspiration is sought from all over the world. People appreciate microbrewery beers more and more, although larger breweries aren’t forgotten either. Microbreweries often operate a brewery restaurant at the premises of the brewery. Beer is a common drink in Finland, it’s clearly more popular than wine. Sahti, a traditional Finnish beer, and cider are also Finnish brewery products.
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Eggs and Anchovies on Toast A freshly prepared rye bread toast with eggs and anchovies on top is something incomparable. Finnish lager is a perfect match with the flavours of this dish.
4 slices of rye bread 4–6 tbs mayonnaise 6 tsp chopped dill 8 boiled eggs (7 minutes, see p. 70 for instructions), peeled and thinly sliced 4 tbs thinly sliced anchovy fillets sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbs chopped chives
Lightly toast the slices of bread. Spread the toasts with the mayonnaise and sprinkle with the dill. Layer egg slices over the dill and the anchovies over the eggs. Season with salt, pepper and chopped chives.
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Aladobi Meat Jelly with Islander’s Bread and Mustard In my opinion, aladobi that once was a staple in restaurant menus deserves a come-back. Prepared well, it’s a top quality treat that is easy to combine with different flavours. Islander’s bread is best prepared a day or even two in advance so it’s easier to cut. The bread keeps for two weeks at room temperature.
1 pork shank (smoked or fresh) 1 leek, roughly chopped, washed 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 1 large to medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, whole 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh 10 white peppers ½ bunch of parsley as such ½ bunch of thyme, fresh 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbs fine sea salt water, enough to cover the meat
1 dl chopped parsley 6 g gelatine leaves
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Place the ingredients in a saucepan and allow to simmer for three hours, skim the foam as it forms. Let the meat cool in the cooking liquid for a couple of hours. Separate the meat from the bone, membrane and gristle. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. Put 6 dl of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chopped parsley and soft gelatine leaves and pour the liquid in with the meat. Pour the mixture into a terrine mold (or similar) lined with cling film. Allow to set in the fridge, preferably overnight. Slice the jelly and serve with islander’s bread and mustard.
Islander’s Bread ½ l buttermilk, at room temperature 33 g fresh yeast 1 2/3 dl wheat bran 1 ¾ dl whole wheat flour 4 ½ dl dark wheat flour 1 1/3 dl ground rye malt 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 1/3 dl syrup 10 g fine sea salt Mix all the ingredients and scoop the dough into a large mold lined with baking paper. Allow to rise for a couple of hours in a warm, draft-free place. Bake in the oven at 150°c for 80-90 minutes, until the bread is done baking (try with a stick). Brush the bread with hot syrup (p. 89), allow to cool and cut into super thin slices using a bread knife. Toast or fry in a frying pan in butter until crispy.
Healthy, colourful ingredients In addition to the numerous edible wild plants and mushrooms, Finnish people are proud of their berries, and for a good reason. Berries for Finns are what fruits are to Mediterranean people – an important part of our diet.
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Finnish berries are excellent for making wines and liqueurs as well as berry- infused spirits There are more vitamins, minerals and polyphenols (with numerous health benefits) in berries than in most of the imported fruits. For example, cloudberries contain more than three times as much vitamin C as oranges. The healthy polyphenols are found in the skins of berries, so the best way to use berries is to eat them whole. Most of our wild berries are also excellent sources of fibre: berries contain more fibre than fruits. Fresh, uncooked berries are at their most nutritious. In addition to desserts, berries can be used in various fish and meat dishes, as well as salads. Besides taste, colour and nutrients, berries add acidity to food just as citrus fruits do. Sea buckthorn juice, for example, is a great substitute for lemon juice and it beautifully brings out Nordic flavours. Easy things to start experimenting with are salad dressings, butter sauces for fish and cocktails. Mushrooms are also clean and healthy food packed with vitamins and minerals. Shaga mushrooms, reishi mushrooms and sundews are examples of more unusual ingredients that are either eaten as such or used as medicinal plants.
Hunting – entertainment and cultural value Hunting is common in Finland. There are about 300 000 hunters in
In agricultural society, the role of hunting has changed: instead of hunting for subsistence, we now hunt to acquire supplementary food. At the same time, the cultural and entertainment value of hunting has increased. However, hunting is still an important tool in managing game populations. Sustainable harvesting of game populations diminishes roadkills and increases safety on roads. The catch is divided between friends, and many household have enough game meat in their freezers to last through the winter. We also have small-scale commercial hunting in Finland, and people can buy game meat at their local butch-
our country, 5 percent (15 000) of
er’s, farmers’ markets and largest supermarkets. This meat
which are women. The number of
is always inspected by health authority.
hunters has been growing in recent
As the Finnish saying goes, “a beloved child has many names.”
years, and there are more and more
There are many synonyms and dialect words for hunting or
young hunters.
metsästys in Finnish, such as jahti, pyynti, erästys and saalistus. There’s a hunting season for each game species, and outside these seasons hunting the animals is illegal.
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Roast of Venison, Elk and Reindeer with Root Vegetables and Savory Rye Groats In Finland, both the white-tailed deer and fallow deer are truly wild deers, while each and every reindeer has an owner. However, they too roam freely and eat wild plants, such as lichens, and that’s why their meat tastes gamey. This dish of game roasts and root vegetables encapsulates the pure but strong Finnish flavours. You can vary the vegetables and meats according to what you like and what’s in season. You can also prepare the dish using one meat only.
Rye 1 dl steel-cut rye 1 l chicken stock (the amount needed varies depending on the size of the pan and the heat used) 1 dl white wine a couple of thyme sprigs 1 garlic clove 1 bay leaf 1 tsp fine sea salt 50 g butter 100 g dried mushrooms (for example winter chanterelles, ceps or candy caps)
Place the chicken stock and white wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer, stirring regularly, until the mixture resembles risotto (25-35 minutes).
Roots 600 g root vegetables (turnips, carrots, rutabaga…), peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces 50 g butter, melted 2 tbs runny honey 1 tbs chopped rosemary leaves fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbs chopped parsley
Mix all the ingredients on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 225°c until softened. Cover with tin foil to keep the roots warm. Just before serving, mix in the parsley.
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Serve straight from the saucepan or a separate bowl.
Roasts 300 g rump roast of venison 300 g rump roast of elk fawn 300 g rump roast of reindeer fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 50 g butter a couple of thyme sprigs 4 garlic cloves, roughly crushed 1 dl water 4 tbs white wine vinegar 2 tbs chopped parsley Season the meats with salt and pepper. In a frying pan, brown the meats with butter, thyme and garlic, basting with melted butter. Cook in the oven at 150째c until the internal temperature of the meats reaches 54째c. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Turn the cooking juices into gravy by adding in some water, white wine vinegar and parsley. Bring to a boil and the gravy is ready! Slice the meat and serve on top of vegetables.
Organic and local food Great potential
Organic, local food is becoming an integral part of the Finnish food culture. At the same time, the whole direction of the food industry is changing. Small, customer-oriented companies that are devoted to good food bring new value to customers and the whole market. Current political decision-making also supports this trend by focusing on sustainable development and rural development programmes.
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Consumers have begun to express their values through consumption. There are, for example, ethical consumer groups that favour local food. The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra published a survey on local food (Lähiruoka, nyt – trendistä markkinoille) in May 2010. The survey focuses on the Finnish local food markets and highlights the importance of customer and demand orientation as well as the entrepreneurs’ understanding of the industry.
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Urban farming
Moving from words to actions
Urban farming is all about
Urban farming has become a central part
environmentally friendly and
of the new, communal city culture over the
social activities where people take responsibility of their nearby
past few years. Allotment gardens are well sought-after, and in Helsinki, new types of urban farms can be found in the old Pasila
environment and personal choices.
railway area and the Kalasatama (Fish Har-
Urban farming is also about bringing
bour) area. When there’s a lack of space,
life to the empty spaces in a city - using them for a good purpose. Urban farming helps you get to know new people and trust them. And what is more, when you grow your own food, you tend to appreciate it more.
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farms are set up on the roofs and balconies of buildings.
Home Made Cheese with Spinach and Fried Egg Home made fresh cheese is easy to prepare and, together with egg and spinach, it becomes an elegant dish perfect for brunch.
Cheese 3 l milk 1 l cold buttermilk fine sea salt
Warm the milk until hot, but not boiling. Take the milk off the stove and pour in the buttermilk, stirring continuously. Remove the curd lumps and place them into a sieve lined with a cloth. Season with salt and press tight. Put a weight on top of the cheese and refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve the cheese the following day. You can also season the cheese with herbs. Use the leftover whey as water substitute when making bread – it will add to the taste. Or simply drink it chilled.
Spinach 200 g spinach, washed and dried 50 g butter fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a frying pan, cook the spinach in butter over a high heat. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
8 eggs oil for frying eggs
Fry the eggs as you like them.
400 g home made fresh cheese at room temperature, sliced fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Assemble the dish simply on separate plates or a large platter. Season with salt and pepper.
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Health and 颅wellbeing with nutrition recommendations The Finnish nutrition recommendations give reference values for the intake of individual nutrients, such as fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The recommendations help us select nutritious and healthy food every day and in the long term.
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Everyday classics
According to statistics, one of the most popular everyday foods in Finland, year after year, is a dish known around the world – meatballs (p. 84). Surprisingly, pizza is very popular too. One of the reasons for this popularity might be the eastern Finnish pasty culture with its Karelian pasties and sultsinas. Popular pizza toppings vary from traditional Italian combinations to the very Finnish minced meat and salami. On the menu of Restaurant Skiffer, which is not a mainstream pizzeria, you can find peculiarities such as C.C.C.P. (chilli con carne please) and goat-cheese & strawberry. In northern Lapland, a typical pizza may be topped with red king crab or reindeer meat. At homes, on the other hand, pizzas are topped with whatever is left in the fridge, which is a smart way to minimise food waste.
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Smoked Ham and Tinned Roach Smoking is a traditional food preservation method, and the flavour of smoked ham is typically Finnish. We are used to smoking a wide range of meats and fish. Smoked vendace is a typical Finnish delicacy, while smoked roach (in the picture) is an example of the new trend of “trash-fish” utilization. Finnish tinned fish products are surprisingly good quality and they deserve to be noticed in our culinary scene. Finnish people probably take this dish for granted. However, the ingredients here represent three fine, typically Finnish flavours: rye bread, butter and smoked food. 400 g naturally wood-smoked ham, thinly sliced 200 g smoked fish in oil 8 large slices of rye bread soft butter, use generously
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Rye Bread Starter 8 dl lukewarm water 6 dl organic rye flour 1 dl sour dough (ask from your nearest baker) Dough (add to the starter) 3 dl lukewarm water 1 ½ l organic rye flour 1 tbs fine sea salt (2 dl coarse organic rye flour for the baking surface)
Whisk the ingredients of the starter together in a large bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 12 hours. Mix a couple of times. Add the water to the starter and mix. Add the flour in three parts, constantly mixing, and finally add the salt. On a table, knead the dough until it’s soft but firm. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size. Sprinkle your table with flour and knead the dough again, forming it into a loaf. Sprinkle the loaf with flour and place it on a baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for one more hour. Bake in the oven at 225°c for about 30 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapping the bottom.
Janssons Frestelse with Marinated Beetroot A familiar but elegant dish that one usually encounters in festive evening menus. This salty dish is a success without exception. Traditionally, beetroots are pickled in vinegar, but this recipe is designed to meet the 21st century. Beetroot, flavoured with vinegar, is true raw food!
Casserole 1 1/5 kg firm potatoes with skins on, washed and cut into thin or thick strips 7 dl whipping cream 1 tin anchovy fillets with brine, roughly chopped 2 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated 1 bay leaf (preferably fresh) 2 tbs fresh chopped thyme 2 allspice berries, crushed with knife fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients carefully in a large bowl and pour into a large oven dish or a frying pan.
Beetroots 6 medium beetroots, peeled and sliced into paper-thin slices with a mandoline ½ dl rapeseed oil 1 dl white wine vinegar 4 tbs chopped dill fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and allow to marinate for an hour, mixing occasionally.
Cook in the oven at 200°c for about 45 minutes. If the surface browns too much before the casserole is cooked, lower the temperature slightly. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes and serve with marinated beetroots.
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Food safety and purity is our asset In the Finnish food chain, food professionals have long worked for the purity and safety of food.
”Today, consumer trust is a pivotal part of food safety. It is earned when producers give valid product information, which can also be verified. In Finland, short production chains reinforce consumers’ trust in local food. Consumers can be informed about where – and even how – food has been produced. The food manufacturers know what they buy and sell, and therefore it’s easy to pull back a product if needed.”
Matti Aho
The purity of food is a
Director General
conscious choice.
of the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira
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Wild Fish Ceviche with Sea Buckthorn, Radish and Cucumber I came up with the idea of this dish on a trip to Tanzania, where I prepared a starter for 60 people using local fish (15 kg). The idea behind the trip was to serve Finnish wild food, but prepared from local ingredients. This time, I’ve used Finnish ingredients only. This isn’t a traditional Finnish dish, but an elegant, healthy, low-calorie and delicious treat for a hot summer’s day. The dish is an example of how versatile an ingredient sea buckthorn juice can be. 400 g white-fleshed fish (whitefish, perch, pike-perch, pike), deboned and skin off, finely diced 6 tbs sea buckthorn juice 8 medium radishes with leaves, washed and finely sliced ½ small cucumber, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes 4 tbs chopped chives 4 tbs dill leaves, roughly torn 2 tbs very finely chopped dill stems 6 tbs hempseed oil fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, generously Mix all the ingredients together 30 minutes before serving so that the fish marinates well. The sea buckthorn juice also “cooks” the fish slightly during this time. Serve with crispbread and dried chilli.
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Crispbread 3 dl rye flour (+ 1 dl for rolling the dough) 6 dl plain flour 1 tbs fine sea salt 2 tbs sugar 40 g fresh yeast 20 g anise seeds 20 g caraway seeds 30 g rapeseed oil 4 1/5 dl water a touch of gourmet sea salt 30 g melted butter Mix all the ingredients except the flour. Add the flour and knead a soft dough. Refrigerate overnight. Allow to rise at room temperature for two hours and, with the help of the extra rye flour, roll the dough into a sheet, as thin as possible. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle some gourmet salt on top. Bake in the oven at 200°c for 5-10 minutes, until the bread browns slightly. Allow to dry at room temperature overnight.
Pan Seared Perch with Chanterelles and Peas This dish is full of the finest gourmet ingredients from Finnish nature, so you can’t go very wrong with this recipe. The dish works well even without the polypody root, but if you manage to find it, people will praise you to the skies.
1 onion with leaves, finely sliced 200 g chanterelles, cleaned 100 g butter 400 g podded peas 4 dl chicken stock or birch sap 1 dl white wine (½ tsp common polypody root, cleaned and finely chopped) 4 tbs chopped herbs (chives, chervil and tarragon) 600 g perch fillets
Sweat the onions in butter until soft and sweet, add the mushrooms and allow the mixture to brown. Add the peas and the wine (and polypody root), let boil for three minutes. Pour in the stock or sap. Allow to simmer for 7 minutes or until thickened. Add the herbs just before serving and mix well. Season the perch with salt and pepper on both sides and fry in butter, on one side only. It’s important not to let the fish dry out. Serve the fish on top of the chanterelles and peas or on a separate dish.
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Elk Tartare Elk meat, especially elk fawn meat, is one of the top ingredients in our country. Luxury for an intimate winter’s night.
300 g elk fawn meat, trimmed (you can use frozen meat if it’s bright in colour, which means it was frozen fresh) 1 small onion or large shallot, peeled and finely diced 4 tbs finely diced sour pickle 4 tbs finely grated turnip, parsnip or celeriac fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp mild mustard 4 slices freshly toasted bread (for example potato flat bread, p. 79) 4 tbs fresh herbs (chives, chervil, tarragon, parsley, thyme)
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Scrape the meat with a fork until finely minced. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Serve on toast topped with fresh herbs. You can garnish the dish with the aromatic nastritium flowers and leaves, the masculine flavoured tarragon, anise hyssop flowers or simply with peppery rocket.
Garden Angelica Posset with Sea Buckthorn Honey It’s worthwhile to hunt for garden angelica seeds or juice. If you plant them in your garden, there’s plenty to collect for many years. Bee pollen is an exotic little detail and real superfood. Together with garden angelica and the tangy and aromatic sea buckthorn juice, we are talking about a taste combination to remember. Garnish generously with edible flowers.
Posset 5 dl whipping cream 1 dl white sugar 10 garden angelica seeds (from a garden store) or ½ dl garden angelica juice ½ dl lemon juice
Place the cream, garden angelica seeds (or juice) and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Take off the stove and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Sea Buckthorn Honey ½ dl sea buckthorn juice 1 dl runny honey
Mix the sea buckthorn juice and honey together and pour on top of the set possets.
Bee Pollen and Flowers 4 tsp bee pollen 4 tsp edible flowers, various colours
Sprinkle the pollen and flowers on top of the possets just before serving.
Remove the seeds, add the lemon juice and bring to a boil again. Boil for 30 seconds. Without stirring, pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate overnight to set.
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Thank You! Anna Ikävalko Eeropekka Rislakki Flavour Studio Markus Stenman Pekka Väänänen/Green Window (Nuuksio National Park) Restaurant Lungberg Ruokatieto.fi
Sources and more information about the Finnish food and drinking culture Ruokatieto.fi · Elo-saatio.fi · Viisitahtea.fi · Evira.fi · Metsastajaliitto.fi · Dodo.fi · Olvi.fi