Monday, July 25, 2005

Weblogs: Finn fare

Vitamin Q - a temple of trivia and lists: "In recent weeks Italian leader Berlusconi and his French counterpart Chirac have both made derogatory remarks about the food of Finland, suggesting it is the worst in the EU. Having done a bit of research, Vitamin Q reckons they are very wrong:
rye crispbread ? a Finnish staple, along with coarse breads made from oats and barley
kalakukko ? pasty filled with fish and pork
grilled lampreys ? small, eel-like fish, a favourite dish in the Western town of Pori
ravut (crayfish) with dill ? a summer dish
reindeer - smoked reindeer meat is eaten all year round; reindeer stew, served with mashed potato is a Lapp favourite; poronk?ristys is a popular dish of fried reindeer meat
sianlihakastike ? a thick meaty pork gravy
black pudding with lingonberry sauce ? popular in Tampere (sauces made from rowan or cranberries are also popular)
kaali??ryleet ? cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat, vegetables and rice; kaalipiiraka is a cottage pie-style dish using similar ingredients
makkara ? sausage is hugely popular; raisin, saltwater and onion sausages are all regional variants
tippaleipd ? a sweetmeat of pastry strands traditionally eaten on Mayday
Lindstr?min pihvi ? a beef and beetroot burger served with spicy sauce
pulla ? sweet bun eaten with coffee
Karjalan piirapat ? pasties filled with rice or potato
Kainuu chowder ? a winter soup made from burbot, milk and potatoes is a speciality
willow grouse ? delicate tasting game bird eaten in the North
prune pastries ? eaten at Christmas
lihapyorykoita ? beef meatballs served with cream
fish ? salmon, vendace or herring served in aspic or with sauces and boiled potatoes; smoked fish, especially salmon is common
Janssonin kiusaus ? an oven dish with potatoes and anchovies cooked in cream; silakkalaatikko is a similar meal with herring
hernekeitto (pea soup) ? popularly served throughout the nation on Thursdays (a throwback to when filling foods were eaten before fasting on a Friday)
m?mmi ? a malty treacle pudding eaten at Easter
mokaja ? hearty spiced stew of beef and root vegetables
burbot roe and blini ? Finnish twist on a popular Russian dish
chilled cranberries with hot toffee sauce ? delicious sounding dessert; cloudberries are popular in the North
crepes ? giant crepes served with berry jams are popular, as are oven-cooked pancakes (kraupsua)"

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home