Finnish cuisine is generally healthy, thanks in part to wholemeal products (rye, barley, oats) and berries (such as blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, and sea buckthorn ). Traditionally families gather berries from forests in the autumn. Various turnips were common in older cooking, but these were largely supplanted by the potato when it was introduced in the 18th century.

The Finnish cuisine combines traditional country fare and upper-class cuisine with modern continental style cooking. Spices have been adopted from West and East. Finnish cuisine is pleasing to the eye and the taste buds and has something special for every month of the year.

Fish and meat play a prominent role in any traditional Finnish dish, vegetarianism being historically non-existent.

In the new Finnish kitchen, dishes are lighter, smaller and generally contains several different vegetables. This mode of cooking is highly influenced by European and American cuisine.

Dishes

• Karelian pasties
• Mämmi
• Kalakukko
• Cabbage rolls (Kaalikääryleet)
• Karelian Stew/Hot Pot
• Baltic herring
• Salmon
• Reindeer stew
• Mashed potato
• Lihapullat -- Finnish meatballs
• Hernekeitto -- Peasoup
• Joulupöytä -- Christmas board
• Mustamakkara -- blood sausage
• Pepu

Bread

• Rye bread
• Bark bread
• Maitorieska, milk flat bread

Drinks

• Glögi -- Mulled wine
• Koskenkorva (famous vodka)
• Mead (Sima)
• Sahti (traditional beer)
• Jaloviina (cut brandy)

Desserts

• Mämmi
• Golden cloudberry dessert

See also

• Culture of Finland
• Culture of Sweden
• List of Christmas dishes
• List of recipes
• Soft drink