Finland: We Taste Meat and Fish

If you want to taste the local specialties, definitely do not expect that you dropped a few pounds, and prepare your taste buds for unusual experiences. Foreigners can sometimes seem that the Finns have a special taste and can combine uncombinable. Today's episode will be devoted to meat and fish.

Unusual meats

Meat and meat products are very popular all around the world. In Finland carnivals among you will enjoy wide variety of meats

Also available are typical and popular species such as chicken, pork, beef or venison. U game is still to stop for a moment, because it is not a classic boar or deer. In Finland you can get such specialties as reindeer meat ( poronlihaa ), moose meat ( hirvenlihaa ) or even bear meat ( karhunlihaa ). The latter is strictly forbidden to export beyond Finland. The most popular game is here from reindeer meat that you purchase most often in the form of dried ham and various sausages. Prices of "game" meat, however, is quite high.

Polar reindeers (cow - doe reindeer bull, calf) are not that common in open nature here as they used to be. They are bred in large domesticated herds, which migrate differently. Reindeer are kept for a versatile utility (meat, milk, blood, skin, antlers, sport, transport).

The most favorite “meat” = sausages

Yes, it is, despite the wide selection of different kinds of meat are light pink thick sausages perhaps the most popular dish. The Finish love them and they are able to cook a variety of sauces or soups, fill them with cheese and onions, or just grill them on a grill and serve with ketchup and mustard. You will find it in any store larger or smaller and are mostly available in large packs. Like every food in Finland. Sausage with mashed pees pure (hernekeitto) is considered to be a national dish. Popular in other meat preparations such as meatballs usually served with potatoes and brown gravy.

The Baltic Sea and thousand lakes = wide fish variety

Finland has, indeed, great conditions for fishing. This reflects also on diet of the Finish. It is entirely usual to see a panel with fresh fish. The one you will see the most is salmon (lohi) in different variations. You can buy beautiful fresh fillets, for which they pay almost half the amount than in the Czech Republic, smoked salmon, marinated salmon, baked salmon, etc. A popular creamy salmon soup . Other popular fish include roasted anchovies or herring loaded on several ways.

To be continued …..

Text/photo: PhDr. Josef Levý