Finnish cuisine is known to be delicious and simple – you can enjoy fresh and healthy food around the year. In addition, Finnish food safety is one of the best in the world, so you can explore the local flavors carefree. Usually, the dish looks tempting and work up your appetite, but like always, the exception proves the rule. We listed top 5 weirdest (yet delicious) foods in Finland here.
1) Mämmi
Do not mistake this to be poop! Mämmi is sweetened porridge made from rye flour, rye malt and water. A pinch of salt and syrup will perfect the flavor. Finns eat the delicacy with sugar and cream or milk around Easter time, which means you need to visit Finland during spring to experience the black treat.
Mämmi-related fun fact: Finnish cross-country skier, Juha Mieto, eats nearly 30 kilograms of mämmi every year during Easter. That’s a respectable amount!
2) Musta makkara
The next dish is bloody delicious – literally. The exotic black sausage is made from grained meat, blood, and rye grains and usually served as a snack with lingonberries. Most genuine way is to buy a portion from a food stall at the market square and experience the atmosphere. The origin of musta makkara lies in Tampere – the same city where Edunation’s headquarters is located!
3) Lörtsy
Don’t judge a book by its cover! Even though this pastry does not look like an amazing culinary experience, you should include it in your bucket-list when travelling in Finland. Delicious flavors of the flat, oil cooked savory with meat or apple filling will tickle your taste buds. You can find the treat easiest in Eastern part of Finland and the most traditional location to munch lörtsy is at market square in Savonlinna (a city in Finland).
4) Hernekeitto
No, nobody has vomited on the plate. It’s just one of the weirdest foods you can find in Finland. The green pea soup is patiently cooked for hours for the best taste. The main ingredients are simple: dried peas, meat, and water, whereas onion, carrot, salt and mustard can be used to give more flavors. The traditional lunch dish is usually enjoyed Thursdays with pancake dessert. There is no specific reason why the day is Thursday, yet one explanation comes from centuries ago, when Fridays were fast days and people preferred a heavy and nutritious meal the day before. Nowadays, it’s just a habit.
5) Karjalanpiirakka
I bet every Finn has tasted karjalanpiirakka, karelian pie, a pastry that you can find easily in every bakery, supermarket, and coffee shop in Finland. Hence, you simply can’t skip this bite which is a tasteful combination of rice pudding and crispy rye crust, although this might look weird.
The pastry is a convenient snack for students and busy people because it tastes delicious even without any preparations. However, the best way to enjoy karjalanpiirakka is warm straight out of oven with egg-butter-spread.
Intrigued about other weird things in Finland? Read Finnish – the Weirdest Language in the World?
