Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
New Suomi Cuisine
Riding the wave of new Nordic cuisine is a new breed of Finnish chef experimenting with
traditional ingredients such as lake fish, berries, wild mushrooms, reindeer and other sea-
sonal produce in decidedly untraditional fashion. Especially in Helsinki, you'll find a num-
ber of gourmet restaurants offering exquisite multicourse tasting menus that make a great
contrast to the heavier, sauce-laden typical cuisine.
Foraging
The forage ethos is one of the principal drivers of new Nordic cuisine but it's not a new
concept. Finns head out gleefully all summer to pick berries and mushrooms: blueberries,
jewel-like wild strawberries, peppery chanterelles and the north's gloriously tart, creamy
cloudberry, so esteemed that it features on the €2 coin. People here are enthusiastic kitchen
gardeners too, with tender new potatoes and fresh dill featuring heavily. The variety and
quality of fresh produce means that summer is by far the best time to eat in Finland.
A Finnish institution is the
grilli
. These fast-food stalls sell burgers, sausages, chips and
the like, and stay open late for the after-pub crowd.
Markets
Big towns all have a kauppahalli (covered market), the place to head for all sorts of Fin-
nish specialities, breads, cheeses, deli produce, meat, and a super variety of both fresh and
smoked fish. It's also a top place for a cheap feed, with cafes and stalls selling sandwiches
and snacks. The summer kauppatori (market square) also has food stalls, coffee stops and
market produce, particularly vegetables and fruit.
