Discover the ultimate guide to traditional Finnish food. Learn about iconic Finnish dishes, local ingredients like salmon and reindeer, and must try desserts.
### Finnish Food: A List of Delicious Finnish Dishes
When traveling to another country, one of the most important aspects is its cuisine, which can truly enhance your experience. Finnish cuisine is no exception and offers a variety of dishes that can satisfy any traveler. Finland, with its breathtaking natural landscapes, modern cities, cheerful people, and delicious local food, is a destination worth exploring.
Finnish food is often made from fresh, high quality ingredients like rainbow trout, salmon, and potatoes, making these local delicacies delightful and enjoyable for all visitors. Even if you’re not typically a fan of international cuisines, it’s hard to resist Finnish pancakes, savory meatballs, and some of the finest seafood dishes in Northern Europe. In this article, we at **FinlandQ** introduce you to some of the most popular Finnish dishes, so you can try them during your trip.
### 1. Leipäjuusto: Finnish Squeaky Cheese
**Leipäjuusto** is a fresh cheese that originates from the **Ostrobothnia region** in northern Finland, dating back at least 200 years. Traditionally, it was made from the rich milk of recently calved cows, but today it’s often crafted from reindeer or even goat milk. However, the commercial products available in local stores are usually made with regular cow’s milk; while they may lack the fully authentic farmstead texture, they are still incredibly delicious.
Leipäjuusto can be enjoyed either warm or cold and is often served as a comforting dessert alongside a cup of hot coffee. To make it, milk is heated and cheese curds are added. The mixture is then poured into a round mold and baked until it turns golden and develops its iconic grilled texture.
### 2. Lohikeitto: Finnish Salmon Soup
**Lohikeitto** is a traditional Finnish salmon soup that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The rich flavor of fresh Finnish salmon truly shines in this comforting dish, accompanied by mild spices and fresh dill, making it a delightful highlight of Finnish seafood.
While American fish chowders are heavy with incredibly thick, creamy broths and white fish, this Finnish salmon soup offers a fresh, balanced twist. This dish is typically found on everyday Finnish dinner tables, but you can also easily order it in high end restaurants across the country.
### 3. Siskonmakkara: Sister’s Sausage
**Siskonmakkara** is a fresh Finnish pork sausage that is first boiled and then pan fried using a unique preparation method. It’s widely known for its tender and delicate meat, offering a distinctly soft texture and flavor compared to other sausages you may have tried around the world.
The most common dish using this ingredient is **Siskonmakkarakeitto**, a heartwarming soup where this unique sausage is the star. It’s a beloved everyday Finnish dish, and trying it offers a unique culinary experience for travelers.
### 4. Kalakukko: Fish Pie
**Kalakukko** is a traditional Finnish fish pie, considered one of the most beloved traditional foods and a true delicacy for the people of Finland. A classic Kalakukko is packed tightly with bacon and fish, and the most authentic versions are purchased from the **Eastern Finnish region**.
The pastry uses savory pork lard for the dough, giving it a distinct, rich flavor and heavy texture. Finnish Kalakukko is a hearty, dense rye bread stuffed with a delicious combination of bacon and fish that bakes slowly for hours until the interior components melt together.
### 5. Karjalanpiirakka: Karelian Pasty
**Karjalanpiirakka** is a small, thin crust pastry with a crisp and tender exterior, typically oval in shape and measuring anywhere from 7 to 20 centimeters. This iconic pastry is commonly filled with smooth rice, barley, or potato porridge, along with other local vegetables.
The filling is made by boiling grains like barley or rice in milk until they are perfectly tender. The pastry crust itself is made by kneading rye dough until it is incredibly thin and almost transparent referred to locally as *piirakka* before being filled with the grain porridge and crimped at the edges.
### 6. Riispuuro: Rice Porridge
**Riispuuro**, a classic Finnish rice pudding, is a traditional Scandinavian dish typically served during the Christmas holiday season. Made from simple ingredients, this warm, creamy rice pudding serves as a perfect comfort food for those cold autumn or winter days when you’re cozy at home.
Finnish rice pudding is also frequently served as a quick breakfast throughout the entire year in Finland. Typically, large batches are prepared ahead of time and then stored in the refrigerator for up to a week for quick, warm servings. An interesting holiday tradition associated with this dish is that a single whole almond is hidden inside the full pot of rice pudding; whoever finds it in their bowl is said to have good luck in the coming year.
### 7. Paistettu Muikku: Fried Vendace
**Muikku** is a species of small whitefish found in freshwater bodies throughout Northern Europe, especially in Finland and neighboring countries along the Baltic Sea. You can often find fresh vendace fish in local open air markets and shops, particularly during the warmer summer months in Finland. It’s a traditional Finnish dish that locals absolutely love to indulge in.
To prepare this dish, fresh vendace fish are coated generously in coarse rye flour and then pan fried in butter to a golden, crisp perfection. It’s a dish that you should enjoy exactly like the locals do: eat the entire fish, bones and all, similar to enjoying a handful of crispy potato chips! There is no need to worry these fish are very small, and their bones are highly delicate and completely harmless to eat.
### 8. Poronkäristys: Reindeer Sauté
**Poronkäristys** is the iconic national dish of Finland made from cooking authentic reindeer meat. This legendary Finnish dish originally hails from the northern wilderness of **Lapland** and has successfully made its way to dinner tables all across the country.
In this dish, paper thin slices of reindeer meat are usually sautéed in butter, with or without sliced onions, and slowly simmered in beer or a rich meat broth until they become incredibly tender and succulent. The most common side dishes served with it include creamy mashed potatoes and tart lingonberry jam, though it can also be paired with pasta or rice. While this dish is frequently found in traditional restaurants all across Finland, you can also purchase convenient frozen reindeer meat in most local supermarkets. According to recent studies, reindeer meat is not only delicious but also exceptionally healthy, containing high levels of vitamin B12, omega 3, and omega 6 fatty acids.
### 9. Hernekeitto ja Pannukakku: Pea Soup and Pancake
This classic combination features a simple, savory pea soup made with fresh peas in the summer and dried peas during the winter. It is usually seasoned gently with onions, salt, and pepper to enhance its natural flavor profiles. This comforting soup is incredibly easy to cook, though you should always remember to soak the dried peas overnight before preparing it.
Finnish pea soup is always highly popular among Finns, especially the older generations. The older generation believes that Finnish pea soup is at its absolute best when served with rich, smoked ham. This dish is traditionally served every Thursday or Friday in Finnish restaurants and cafeterias, and alongside it, a thick piece of oven baked Finnish pancake with sweet berry jam (and sometimes whipped cream) is always served for dessert.
### 10. Lihapullat Muusilla ja Puolukkahillolla: Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Lingonberry Jam
Have you ever heard of classic Scandinavian meatballs? Finnish meatballs are one of the most widely popular dishes in the country that all Finns love to eat. This classic meal is worth trying during your travels not only because it is incredibly savory and highly affordable, but because it is a hearty option that will keep you full for hours. This dish can be found almost everywhere, from casual lunch spots in Helsinki to traditional Finnish restaurants across the country.
### 11. Mykyrokka: Mykyrokka
**Mykyrokka** is a historic Finnish dish that has been cooked by locals for generations. This rustic soup is also widely known as "the butcher’s soup," as it directly refers to an old rural custom where peasants would slaughter farm animals in the autumn and carefully turn the meat into sausages, smoked ham, and other preserves.
Whatever small cuts and internal components remained were added straight into a large boiling pot, and Mykyrokka was born. This hearty soup is made from potatoes, onions, meat, and parts of the animal like the liver, mixed into unique dumpling pieces.
### 12. Makaronilaatikko: Macaroni Casserole
This traditional Finnish baked macaroni with minced meat can be compared in popularity to American macaroni and cheese. Almost everyone living in Finland eats it once in a while or at least once a week, and some love it so much that they can comfortably eat it every single day. When you are traveling in Finland, you are under no obligation to try it, but if you are looking for a comforting, baked comfort food that tastes warmly familiar, **Makaronilaatikko** is an excellent choice.
### 13. Kaalikääryleet: Cabbage Rolls
This classic style of dish remains highly popular throughout Europe. The Finnish version of the cabbage roll, locally known as **Kaalikääryleet**, is carefully made by wrapping a savory filling of minced meat, rice, and select spices inside tender, baked cabbage leaves. This nutrient dense dish serves as a complete, satisfying meal that can easily fill you up after a long day of sightseeing.
### 14. Korvapuusti: Cinnamon Rolls
One of the most popular sweet treats among Finns is their iconic style of cinnamon rolls, whose sweet baking aroma will instantly whet your appetite in any local bakery. These soft buns are uniquely mixed with crushed **cardamom**, giving them a distinct, aromatic scent that will immediately remind you of Northern Europe. They are the ultimate accompaniment to Finland's famous coffee culture.
### 15. Mustikkapiirakka: Finnish Blueberry Pie
This traditional treat is not an ordinary blueberry pie that you can taste just anywhere in the world. In the midsummer months, the forests of Finland are absolutely packed with wild bilberries (wild blueberries), and the intense flavor of a pie made with these fresh, hand picked berries is entirely different from pies made with standard cultivated blueberries.
This Finnish blueberry pie features a uniquely soft, often sour cream or rye infused crust, making it an excellent choice for a relaxing afternoon snack. You can enjoy a slice of **Mustikkapiirakka** with a fresh cup of coffee to rest after a walk around the city, letting you taste the authentic flavors of local European sweets with all your being.