*For all my foodie friends and especially two gals who always ask me first and foremost when I go somewhere new, “So, what did you eat!?!”
Lingonberries – There were daily open markets dotting Helsinki and they all had vendors selling mounds of small red berries. So, I bought some. They were similar to cranberries in that they had a slightly bitter, slightly sour taste, though they were much smaller in size. Quite tasty.
Rukinen Percnapirkka with Kurkku – Basically rye bread filled with shredded potatoes and topping with a cucumber relish-like salad. I wasn’t sure about this combination since I had just grabbed some stuff at the grocery store, but it was actually a really good and filling meal.
Ma-Su – I had anticipated that this would be a yogurt-like drink, but it was actually almost a gel that had a really strong taste (like mandarin orange, mango and apple). After a few sips I got the feeling that it was supposed to be a juice concentrate, so I cut it with some water and it tasted much better.
Vegetable soup and Rye crackers – The open air markets are a conglomeration of orange tents that sell produce, pastries, breads and prepared foods. Some tents are essentially outdoor restaurants. I decided to try some soup and loved that it was served from a massive iron vat behind the counter.
The soup was made of carrots, onions, tomatos, leeks, mushrooms, whole peppercorn, herbs and spices and was served with endless rye crackers. It was the perfect meal of a chilly day.
Vendace Fish – After my soup, I continued wandering the market and was offered a taste of a local favorite, the freshwater Vendace fish. Though I’m not a fan of seafood in any form, how could pass up a local specialty? So I tried some and while it definitely had a fishy taste, it was wasn’t half bad. I don’t think I could handle of plate of them, but a few was more than tolerable.
Raviolli with red sauce and pesto – I had some difficulty finding an affordable place to have dinner, so I settled on Italian. As soon as I took my first bite of ravioli, I was struck by a familiar feeling – I should not have ordered this. The red sauce had a distinctive sweet flavor and thin consistency that I now believe is the norm throughout Scandinavia. Its nearly sickeningly sweet and though I’d encountered it many time before in Denmark, I completely forgot about my distaste for it. That said, I was hungry and I’m not one to let food go to waste.
Café Sandwich and tea – One of the more affordable ways to eat in Helsinki is to stop at a café. They of course offer coffee and tea, but also have a large selection of pre-prepared sandwiches, salads and swert and savory pastries.
Lona Russpastelia – At the grocery store I thought this looked like a raisin-filled savory pie, but it turned out to be filled with ground meat, onion and rice. For 0.72 Euro, it was a great snack.
Aura Beer – A Finnish brew.
Those are certified good food, just right
to make any day extra wonderful!
And that Cafe Sandwich and Tea says it all!