Can you name a single Finnish dish? Not easy? That's why the world's happiest country wants to introduce its cuisine. Here are five iconic foods to try, and locals’ tips on where to taste them:
1. Karelian pies (karjalanpiirakka)
A thin rye-wheat crust, soft rice-porridge filling, and a dab of egg butter on top. Finland's most loved savory pastry has EU-protected status, so the real thing is made under strict traditional guidelines. Karjalanpiirakka and its close relative riisipiirakka are sold at almost every café and supermarket, but a traditional kauppahalli (market hall) is the most atmospheric place to try one warm. Finns eat them for breakfast, lunch and as an evening snack year-round.
2. Salmon soup (lohikeitto)
Soft chunks of salmon, potatoes, leeks, and fresh dill in a light, creamy broth. Salmon soup, lohikeitto, is the quiet hero of Finnish lunch menus. Löyly, Helsinki’s popular seaside sauna and restaurant, serves a famous bowl, or have one at the Old Market Hall. Find Lohikeitto on market hall and restaurant lunch menus all around Finland.
3. New potatoes and herring (uudet perunat ja silli)
If Finns wait for one meal all year, it's in June. Tiny, thin-skinned new potatoes (uudet perunat) are boiled and served simply with butter, dill, and a pinch of salt, with pickled herring alongside. Hunt these once-in-a-year potatoes at outdoor markets (tori) in June and July, especially around Midsummer, or at local supermarkets, which are guaranteed to have them in the produce section.
4. Finnish cinnamon buns (korvapuusti)
Soft, cardamom-scented, topped with pearl sugar. Korvapuusti, the Finnish cinnamon bun, has its own day in Finland (October 4th), but they're sold daily in every café. In Helsinki, the red-cottage Café Regatta serves them with sea views, while Café Succès has been baking enormous versions since 1957. In Turku, Café Art by the iconic Aura River pairs small-roastery coffee with homemade cinnamon rolls. In the Lakeland city of Tampere at the tiny, artisan Bakery Café Puusti, korvapuusti is the star.
5. Blueberry pie (mustikkapiirakka)
In summer, Finnish forests fill with bilberries — small, dark, wild blueberries that taste richer and tangier than cultivated ones. Tucked into a buttery crust and served with vanilla custard, mustikkapiirakka is Finnish summer on a plate. Try a slice at Avikainen bakery in Helsinki's Kallio district, or at the romantic Tertti Manor near Mikkeli, where the kitchen leans on its own gardens. Here and throughout Eastern Lakeland, look for other bilberry desserts, like the must-try, rye-crusted mustikkakukko.
Practical tips for Finnish flavors
- Head to a kauppahalli in any major city for the easiest entry into local flavors.
- Look for the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label at restaurants and food experiences. It means they meet recognized sustainability standards.
- Follow the season: summer and autumn are when the forests, lakes and gardens are most bountiful.
