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FINLAND….The cuisine of any country is influenced by its neighbors and history and locally produced ingredients. The flavor of modern Finnish cuisine is international and European with a liberal dash of the traditional. Just about every Finnish village has its own dishes and very often its own bread. Finland is the land of dark rye bread and a huge variety of crispbreads. From Sweden and Russia came the inspiration for a whole variety of tempting pastries. Lapland and its delicacies add yet another dimension: reindeer, salmon, homemade cheese and wild berries. Summer’s delights include fishing and sauna. Grilled sausages and cold beer are part of the sauna tradition. And Fins will find any excuse to take a sauna. Finland’s clear water abounds with perch, whitefish, pike, burbot and Baltic herring. Fish roe is a great delicacy, especially that from whitefish, vendace and burbot. It is eaten with thick, sour cream and chopped onions. My mouth waters as I remember eating this in Helsinki. The king of Finland’s fishes is the salmon, which is eaten raw, salted or smoked. Smoking is an age-old method of preparing food. Particular favorites are smoked reindeer, lamb, and sauna smoked ham. In the autumn the forests yield enough berries and mushrooms to fill everyone’s basket. Finland is also a country of cheeses. Finnish-made Emmental cheese is often exported and is a great way to get a taste of Finland even if you can’t get there right away. If you do get to Finland, don’t miss the markets. To the Fins, the markets are a theater of food, with a new show each season. In the summer, the markets are colorful and abundant. The dominant scent is bright green dill, used to flavor fish dishes or boiled new potatoes. The undertones of fresh fish and sauna-smoked ham, mutton and reindeer with also tempt your tastebuds. The colors and perfumes of the market in full summer come from the wild berries—strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Later in the season there are lingonberries and cranberries, gooseberries and cloudberries—the bright yellow clusters that only grow north of the Arctic Circle. Finnish fruits and vegetables, ripened by the long days of summer, taste fresher than anywhere else. Bringing home cloudberry jam or liquor is a great way to remember the tastes of Finland. The markets, both indoor and outdoor, give you an appetizing preview of the delicious array of delicacies. You might want to sample some herring. Best thing to do after a meal—walk it off and view the beautiful sights around you. Or do the Finnish thing and go for a sauna. The best way to get to Finland is on Finnair, where you will get a taste of these delicacies enroute. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Finland:
212-370-5608
Finnair:
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TM