Food and Drinks to Try at the Finnish Crazy Games

Munkki, a Finnish doughnut. Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

What would Finnish a themed day be without Finnish food? Good thing that Finnish Crazy Games event offers also a chance to get to know some Finnish delicacies and beverages. Trying out different sports and activities can be consuming, so it is good that we have Finnish Associations and Churches of Canberra providing us Finnish specialities. Here is a little introduction of a few iconic Finnish foods and beverages you can try at the Finnish Crazy Games.

Munkki

Munkki (Finnish doughnut) is the most popular pastry during mayday celebrations. Nobody knows where the tradition comes from, but before the May 1st, the production and sales of munkki skyrockets. Munkki is basically a ring-shaped, deep fried bun dough, which after cooking is coated in sugar. Many Finns also associate munkkis to petrol stations, where travellers enjoy these sugar-coated treats with coffee. Finnish word munkki also means a monk, with the name thought to have been based on its similarity in colour to monks’ robes.

Karelian Pies. Photo: Visit Finland

Karelian Pies

Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian Pie, or Karelian Pasty) is a traditional salty pasty originating from the region of Karelia. This iconic Finnish food is oval in shape, with a crust made out of wheat, rye, or a mix of the two, and originally filled with either barley or talkkuna (traditional flour mix made of barley, rye, oat, and pea). Over time new ingredients found their way into Finland, leading to pasties being filled with potato or rice, the latter being the most popular choice today. Karelian Pasties are often served with egg-butter, but other toppings go well with Karelian Pasties too!

Traditional Karelian Pie is protected in Europe receiving Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status. To be authentic the pie must be made honouring the traditional ingredients, baking methods, and Karelian Pie’s history. Mass-produced pies often found in Finnish supermarkets do not meet the criteria, and therefore they are sold by the name rice pasty or potato pasty, depending on the filling. This might seem like nit-picking, but it has an important in the protection of this traditional food.

Finnish Korvapuustis. Photo: Julia Kivelä/Visit Finland

Finnish Korvapuustis

The history behind korvapuustis is not well known. It is believed the first version of korvapuusti came from Sweden, where kanelbulle (cinnamon roll) has been an important part of Swedish fika-culture for longer (sharing a cup of coffee or tea with snacks in a good company). Arguably, the biggest difference between these two is the shape, and if you ask any Finn, they do taste really different from each other! Finnish korvapuusti is made out of cardamom-spiced dough, and it is baked into a roll which is filled with a butter-sugar-cinnamon mix. Korvapuusti is finished with sprinkled coarse sugar. There is nothing more comforting than eating a fresh, warm korvapuusti with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee on a cold, dark winter day! Did you know that in Finnish korvapuusti also means getting slapped on the ear?

Finnish rye bread with smoked salmon. Photo: Jukka Rapo/Keksi/Finland Promotion Board

Smoked Salmon on Rye

The history of rye bread can be tracked all the way to the 6th century, when the oldest traces of rye in Finland have been found in Paimio, Southwest-Finland. The Finnish calendar year used to follow the farming calendar, and baking rye bread was a way to store food for cold, long winter months. Rye bread is a big part of Finnish food tradition. During war and famine years, rye bread was an essential part of the diet, and pettu (pine bark) was added to the recipe to make food last over hard times. It is a quite common tradition in Finland to bring rye bread and salt as a housewarming gift: according to old traditions, it should bring luck and abundance to the house.

Great accompaniment for rye bread is cold smoked salmon. Smoking salmon in low temperatures gives it a salty and smoky taste and an almost raw-feeling texture. Smoked salmon is truly a delicacy, and its beautiful, vivid orange colour makes it a great part of a menu for food connoisseurs. Of course, it is eaten on every occasion, or when there is no occasion! Full of essential fatty acids, cold smoked salmon is a part of traditional Finnish cuisine, especially during winter holidays.

Traditional Finnish Sauna Landscape. Photo: Heikki Mustonen/Visit Finland

Finnish Beverages

Finnish sauna experience is completed with a cold and refreshing beverage! Hartwall Original Long Drink (or as Finns call it, lonkero=tentacle) was developed only for the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. This gin and grape-based drink gained popularity, and its production has continued due to demand. The recipe has stayed the same over the years, and today it is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Finland. Hartwall Original Long Drink has a crisp yet sweet taste, and it is made of premium gin and grape soda. This unique Finnish drink has been charming consumers all over the world since 2015, and it can be found from numerous countries in Europe, Asia and Australia especially for the Finnish Crazy Games.

Lapin Kulta beer another traditional Finnish beverage will also be available for purchase. Lapin Kulta lager is a classic, full-bodied Finnish beer. Lapin Kulta means the gold of Lapland, and this golden coloured lager beer is made out of malt barley, yeast, and of course, fresh water. The beer was produced in Lapland until 2010, and after that, production was moved to South Finland but the recipe has stayed the same.

Author Information: Katja Palosaari is an intern at the Embassy of Finland to Australia