rboijon

As a local in Helsinki, here is my two cents (a list of things that are local to either Finland or Scandinavian countries in general):

 

What to eat/try, many alternatives:

1. Our versions of cinnamon buns. We have our fair share of different varieties, with different toppings and variations. Someone already mentioned "korvapuusti" (plural: korvapuustit) which is quite traditional, but there are many others also. They are generally called "pulla" in Finnish and are served in all bakeries and cafes.

2. Baltic herring. If you love fish, you might want to taste same locally caught fish e.g. in the market hall. There are also pickled versions of this that the locals are eating with new potatoes, these are called "silli".

3. Local berries, especially cloudberries ("hilla" or "lakka") from Northern Finland. If you can't get them fresh (they are quite seasonal), you can buy them as a jam.

4. Salted licorice ("salmiakki"). You can find these in all supermarkets and even in ice creams.

5. Reindeer meat. If you like to eat Rudolph. I have noticed in some cultures they can't stand the idea of eating Santa's little helpers.

6. Blini. Actually originally from Russia, Finns have their own spin on this one.

7. Cabbage rolls ("kaalikääryleet"), usually eaten with lingonberry jam.

8. Makaronilaatikko - The Finnish version of "mac and cheese", usually done with beef and pork meat and eaten everywhere in the country.

9. Chocolates (especially milk chocolates). Like most other countries, we have our own trusted brand: Fazer. You can't miss the dark blue chocolate bars. They come in all sorts and sizes.

10. Blood sausages, e.g. "mustamakkara" from Tampere region. Doesn't actually taste like blood, so if the dark looks don't scare you off, you might catch one of these from e.g. "Tapola" stands that are usually near every market. Locals eat them with lingonberry jam and milk on the side.

 

Then there are a million more, all across Finland, but I decided to stick with ten only.

 

What to take home:

1. Coffee. Sounds weird right? But the Finnish brand "Paulig" is doing exceptionally good coffees at every price point and roast level. Finns are also drinking the most coffee per capita in the world. We have also a lot of small roasteries.

2. Chocolate. If you didn't want to just stick to tasting.

3. Jams. E.g. cloudberry.

4. Salmiakki.

5. Salmiakkivodka (salmari). Vodka that is flavored with salmiakki.

6. Finnish design: e.g. visit Stockmann in central Helsinki and you might find something interesting, e.g. Moomin dishes, glassware, Marimekko prints, ceramics, Fiskars-products (e.g. scissors), Kalevala-jewelry (inspired by Nordic mythology). Or one of the markets to find e.g. "Kuksa", a handcrafted traditional drinking cup made from wood.

Rudolph is tasty. Elves not so much. Great list!