In a word, this Nordic cuisine consists of rye bread, various varieties of porridge for breakfast, sweet bread pastries such as pulla and cinnamon rolls, sweet pies and pastries, cured meats, and fishes, potatoes cooked in various ways, stewed meats, and cream-based sauces.
But let’s face it: Finland’s food has a bad reputation among tourists since they don’t know where to go and end up in costly tourist traps near the city’s tourist districts.
Table of Contents
Here are 10 Amazing Cuisine in Finland:
1. Ruislimppu
Ruislimppu is a typical Finnish whole rye bread. It’s made using a sourdough starter, whole rye flour, warm water, and salt and fermented overnight. As a beginning, dry fragments of previous bread dough or a lump of dough kept from a previous bake are traditionally used.
The soft and airy dough is fashioned into a cone, then cooked until attractively browned and hollow when tapped on the bottom. Ruislimppu has a distinct, intensely acidic flavor with a little sweet nuttiness, and it has a dense, soft crumb consistency due to the natural fermentation process.
2. Chanterelle Soup (Kanttarellikeitto)
Kanttarellikeitto is a Finnish soup with a long history. Chanterelle mushrooms, butter, onions, parsley, flour, vegetable stock, heavy cream, salt, and pepper are commonly included in the soup. Over medium-low heat, the mushrooms are chopped and sautéed with onions and parsley in butter.
The mixture is sprinkled with flour and mixed once the moisture has evaporated. The stock is gradually added, and the soup is then cooked for a while before adding the cream. Kanttarellikeitto is served hot, seasoned with salt and pepper, and garnished with chopped parsley.
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3.
Kainuun rönttönen, a mini-open pie with a rye and wheat flour crust and a filling of potatoes, lingonberries, and rye flour, is a traditional dish from Finland’s Kainuun region. Unlike now, it was formerly a large pie produced at the end of the winter by women who wanted to use up the last of the leftover ingredients, and because sugar was rare, the potatoes functioned as a sweetener.
Kainuun rönttönen has been designated as a PGI under EU law since 2008. This is due to the long heritage of pie-making. The pie was traditionally served with soups, as it still is, but it can also be covered with butter and served with coffee as a tasty snack.
4. Nakkikastike
Nakkikastike is a popular home-cooked dish in Finland, consisting primarily of sautéed nakki sausages that are then boiled in a rich brown sauce seasoned with tomato paste, onions, carrots, and cream. Nakki is a mild Finnish sausage that resembles a frankfurter, a hot dog, or a wiener.
Although tomato paste is not used in the original sauce recipe, it is this component that gives the dish its distinctive flavor. Various herbs and spices, as well as mushrooms, can be added to the sauce to give it a more complex flavor. This meal is traditionally served with mashed or boiled potatoes, but it can also be served with raw or cooked vegetables or pasta.
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5. Rosolli
Rosolli is a colorful Finnish salad that is particularly popular during the holiday season. Rosolli is a simple dish to make: the ingredients are simply diced or boiled, then combined. The salad normally consists of boiled potatoes, boiled carrots, boiled or pickled beets, chopped onions, chopped apples, and a few pickled cucumbers sliced into small pieces, though there are various variants.
Rosolli is generally served with a savory sauce made with heavy cream, vinegar, and sugar on the side once it has been assembled. Garnish the salad with chopped hard-boiled eggs if desired.
6. Runebergintorttu
The Runeberg cake is a tiny, cylinder-shaped dessert made with a blend of wheat and almond flour and named after a renowned Finnish poet. The ginger and cardamom tastes are prominent, and the cake has a delicate, rich structure. This treat comes in a variety of shapes, with a spoonful of raspberry jam sandwiched between two layers of simple white frosting on each cake.
This flavor-packed national dish, thought to have been made by the poet’s wife, is traditionally savored throughout January leading up to Runeberg’s birthday, which is celebrated on February 5th.
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7. Porilainen
Porilainen, a simple Finnish sandwich consisting of pieces of white bread filled with sliced pig sausage, veggies, garlic seasoning, and condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard, or ketchup, falls halfway between a hamburger and a hot dog.
The sandwich is thought to have been named after the city of Pori, however, some say it was named after the Finnish word hampurilainen, which means hamburger. A variety of street vendors sell the sandwich at fairs and festivals.
8. Kaalilaatikko
Ground pork, cabbage, and pre-cooked rice make up Kaalilaatikko, a traditional Finnish casserole. This healthful casserole is cooked until the top turns golden brown and crispy, usually with black molasses syrup and a variety of herbs like marjoram and thyme.
Traditionally served with lingonberry or cranberry sauce on the side in Finland, kaalilaatikko is a true comfort food classic.
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9. Rieska
Rieska is a traditional unleavened flatbread that has been made in Finland since ancient times. The bread is made up of wheat, water, and salt, but the components used to make it vary by location, as do the texture and thickness, which can range from thin, crispy, and cracker-like to thick, dense, and bready.
The most common flour used to produce this flatbread is barley (known in Finland as barley rieska or ohrarieska), but rye (ruisrieska), oats, or mashed potatoes (perunarieska) are other popular alternatives.
10. Kaalikääryleet – Cabbage Roll
Finland’s long winter makes it impossible to enjoy an abundance of fresh vegetables all year. Against this context, cabbage is one of the most often consumed vegetables in Finland. The cabbage rolls, or kaalikääryleet, are undoubtedly their most interesting cabbage meal.
It’s produced by wrapping boiled cabbage leaves over minced meat and cooked rice ingredients, then baking the rolls in the oven. In Swedish cuisine, a similar dish is known as Kldolmar.
With mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce, serve Finnish cabbage rolls. The latter is a traditional Finnish sauce that goes well with a variety of meals, including Kaalikääryleet.
