Finland cuisine: 10 things we love

Finland cuisine: 10 things we love

Lucky porridge

Winter mornings often begin with a bowl of rice porridge topped with sugar, cinnamon and a knob of butter. On Christmas Eve it’s tradition to hide an almond in the pot, and the person who gets it receives a wish or good luck for the next year.

Christmas Eve traditions

In Finland we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. At midday, in the old capital of Turku, the declaration of Christmas peace is read from the balcony of the old town hall and broadcast across the country. Locals gather in the square or round their TV to watch – in our family we drink glögi (apple juice heated with spices and topped with almond flakes and raisins to mix in) while watching and it marks the official start to Christmas for us.

Cured fish

Whole sides of fish, usually salmon, are cured in coarse salt, sugar and occasionally spices, then thinly sliced and served with white pepper and fresh dill. This is very typical to eat at Christmas. We also preserve herring in spiced brine and eat with rye bread as an aperitif.

Rye bread

Rye is deep-rooted in Finnish culture. Years ago farmers would make hard, round breads at harvest time and hang them from the ceiling to preserve and eat through the winter. Nowadays it’s a staple side at most meals and there are often at least 10 different varieties available in most shops. Another popular dark bread is archipelago bread where rye is mixed with wheat, dill seeds, cumin and malt to make it sweeter. Check out our rye bread recipe.

Pea soup Thursdays

Pea soup made with ham hock is an ancient Finnish dish that’s been passed down through many generations. On Thursdays many lunch restaurants and offices serve the simple soup as a lunch option, with oven-baked pancakes and berry jam for dessert (if I’m feeling bougie I also have whipped cream on top).

Lohikeitto

Salmon soup is a traditional Finnish dish that’s served all year round in everyday settings or big family celebrations. I think it’s best in its most simple form: Finnish potatoes, carrots and sautéed leeks cooked in a fish stock with cubed salmon added just a few minutes before serving. Finished off with cream and plenty of fresh dill.

Finnish Christmas meal traditions

In our family, and many I know, we begin our Christmas meal with a selection of fish with boiled potatoes and fish roe. The main is a leg of ham – my mother cooks it overnight on a low heat in a rye flour crust. Traditional casseroles accompany, including spiced carrots in syrup, swede and potatoes, where starch is lured out of the potato and starts to sweeten.

Voisilmäpulla (butter eye buns)

We have many varieties of buns in Finland – cinnamon varieties are similar to Swedish but softer and fluffier. The most ‘Finnish’ are voisilmäpulla, baked with a knob of butter in the middle with cardamom sugar that melts in the oven. When I was a kid my mother made these every Friday and I still associate them with the weekend commencing.

Kahvia (filter coffee)

Finland consumes the highest amount of coffee per capita throughout the day. When anyone comes over or has a meeting, the first thing asked is always, would you like some coffee? A light roast filter coffee is the most popular, as our water quality is so high, so we embrace the water in a delicate roast rather than trying to mask it. I love stopping by the market squares to have filter coffee and a bun.

Lihapiirakka (meat pastries)

This typical Helsinki street food was traditionally eaten after a night out but these days you can pick it up from most corner shops and markets. They are like pasties – a fried dough filled with mince and rice – and the best ones are made by Eromanga bakery. You can get them in the main market square in the centre or in the Hakaniemi market square.

Where to eat in Helsinki

Kuurna

One of the first in the bistro boom of the early noughties, our restaurant turns 20 next year. We bought it off our mentors and the focus is on a small, rotating menu that showcases Finnish produce with a twist from our chefs. It’s an ideal spot to enjoy seasonal plates and enjoy time with the people you love. kuurna.fi

Kosmos

I go here if I want an old-school meal of panfried vendis (small fish) with mashed potatoes or vorschmack – a rich, salty meat and herring slow-cooked dish paired with snaps. The restaurant actually celebrated its centenary this year. It used to be an artist hangout and there are still paintings on the walls that they donated to cover their tabs. kosmos.fi

Café Success

This ancient café dates back to 1957 and is the perfect spot to enjoy a comforting bowl of lohikeitto, a creamy salmon soup topped with mountains of fresh dill. Alternatively, go for breakfast and knock back a Finnish coffee and a korvapuusti cinnamon roll. succes.fi

Bar Petiit

Restaurant Plein in Puu-Vallila neighbourhood is one of my favourite restaurants. Across the street, the previous owners run this buzzy bar that serves undiscovered wines and hosts live music evenings. It’s a great place to hangout with friends and meet locals. @petiitbar

Canvas Canteen

This small, homey spot is open for midweek lunches when the chef owners aren’t catering private events. There are just two dishes to choose from each day and the food is super seasonal, fresh and comforting. @canvascanteen

Where to stay in Finland

Hotel Lilla Roberts, Helsinki

Located majestically amid the design district, this elegant hotel embraces a cosy feel. A wooden fireplace crackles beside a wall of birch logs, and leather chairs are perfectly placed to watch hip passers-by. Bedrooms come with cosy fur blankets, plush rugs on parquet flooring and velvet armchairs in deep plums, mustard yellows and teals. Funky touches such as elephant lamps, zebra print throws and monochrome vases tie in with the glamorous feel, and bathrooms are stocked with Neal’s Yard toiletries. The hotel bar, Bar Lilla E, is a destination in itself for those in the know on Helsinki’s hip cocktail route. The dramatically spot-lit wooden bar (it just happens to sit next to a crackling fire) makes a stylish backdrop to a menu of Nordic-inspired cocktails.

Doubles from £145, check rates and availability at booking.com or lillaroberts.com

Billnäs Gård, Billnäs

Take some time out from the festive buzz at this wellbeing-focussed rural retreat just an hour’s drive or train ride from Helsinki. There’s a commitment to slow living and sustainable Finnish design principles throughout, from using natural materials that ensure low impact on the surrounding forest to the healthy Finnish-French cuisine embracing local ingredients, such as foraged mushroom soup, pickled herring with dill-flecked malt crumble and vegetarian foie gras with marinated apples. The six rooms in the restored 1912 manor are uniquely designed – Natura’s bathroom has been built around an existing fireplace while The Nest boasts a bath looking over the garden. Start the morning with a pine tree extract shot, berry clafoutis and homemade levain bread with local pumpkin hummus. Soak up the magical snowy surrounds with a day’s sledging, ice skating or cross-country skiing. Wild herb tea awaits on your return to sip under a handwoven blanket in front of the crackling fire before a session in the meditation spa and sauna.

Check rates and availability at billnasgard.fi

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