Finnische typische Gerichte
Ruisleipä
In Finnland ist ruisleipä ein Roggenbrot, das mit natürlicher Hefe hergestellt wird und in vielen traditionellen Gerichten vorkommt. Es gibt verschiedene Sorten, die beliebteste und am leichtesten zu findende ist das reikäleipa, eine Art Ring, auch „Brot mit Loch“ genannt. Traditionell wurde es an Balken an der Decke aufgehängt und ist ein festes und flaches Brot.
Das näkkileipä ist die knusprige Variante des Roggenbrots. Es gibt verschiedene Sorten, darunter der Finn Crisp Cracker, der auch außerhalb Finnlands bekannt ist. Finnisches Frühstück. Das näkkileipä kann zum Frühstück mit Butter, Käse bestrichen, zum Mittagessen in der Suppe oder abends als Snack verwendet werden.
Seasonal food in Finland
Among typical Finnish dishes, fish is the main feature. Among Finnish fish-based foods, the Baltic herring stands out, almost a national symbol, cooked in a thousand ways (from smoking to grilling), followed by Lapp salmon with very delicate pink flesh; whitening whitefish, zander, rainbow trout, and many others. Fish eggs, served with onion, sour cream, and national vodka, are also much loved. Finnish recipes are not very difficult to prepare.
Kalakukko
Kalakukko is a fish pie, generally filled with whitefish, traditional in the lake region in eastern Finland.
JUNE
June is the month of new potatoes which, as soon as they are harvested, are cooked with dill and served with silli, a sauce made from herring and butter.
Silli
Silli are new potatoes and herrings. But also: new potatoes with fresh lake fish and chanterelle sauce; new potatoes with fish eggs (mäti); new potatoes with just a knob of butter, a bit of dill, and a pinch of salt.
The variations are truly endless and all delicious: Finns can keep talking about new potatoes until late at night, waiting for a summer that is about to begin. New potatoes usually appear around mid-June, and the first harvest is such newsworthy that it deserves newspaper articles.
SUMMER
July is instead the period of berries, the stars of unbeatable cakes and desserts, first among all, the black blueberry pie. However, the summer feasts reach their peak in early August, the period of freshwater crayfish, with their bright red shells and very tasty meat. Many claim they are the best in the world.
Mustikkapiirakka
July and August represent the blueberry season in Finnish forests. They can be found everywhere, and for many, their abundance is truly impressive. You can freely pick as many as you want, and perhaps put them in the freezer for winter. This is something Finns do regularly, even if the best way to enjoy them is just picked, perhaps by preparing delicious blueberry pies, usually accompanied by fresh milk: you will be amazed.
Another typical wild berry easily found in Finland is the lingonberry, more sour than the traditional blueberry and therefore excellent for jams and juices. In any case, the most exquisite Finnish berry is the cloudberry, also known as “hilla,” typical of the Lapland forests. With its shining orange color, it is truly a delicacy of the northern nature, whose arrival at markets in southern Finland is eagerly awaited every summer.
Rapu
The crayfish parties or “kraftskiva,” a name imported to Finland from Swedish tradition, are events that celebrate summer. Freshwater crayfish are considered a true culinary gourmet item and their price fully attests this: for this reason they are eaten in style. Elegant parties prepared in meticulous detail in honor of the crayfish season are typically organized between July 21 and the beginning of autumn.
Grillimakkara
Summer is not Finnish without a “grillimakkara.” These are large sausages, usually cooked over flames, stuffed with mustard, and enjoyed with a refreshing beer. Finns love them; grillimakkara has fans of all ages.
AUTUMN
Autumn gifts abundant mushrooms, delicacies like elk roast, and many other game-based dishes and even bear meat. The list of regional specialties is extensive, starting with flatbreads like karjalanpiirakka, of Karelian origin, filled with potatoes or rice, and rahkapiirakka, a fresh cheese pie. Typical of Savo is kalakukko, rye bread filled with fish (whitefish or perch) and pork, toasted for a long time in the oven. On the Gulf of Bothnia reign the rieska, a thin round flatbread, and leipajuusto, a fresh cheese resembling a crepe, matured over the flames of a fireplace.
