Food culture and eating habits - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
Finnish eating habits have changed significantly over the past 50 years. Stores now offer a wide range of ingredients from around the world. In particular, the selection of vegetables has diversified. People’s eating habits have been influenced a lot by other countries and cultures. The availability of pre-packaged meals and ready-to-eat food has also increased, and for many, they are an important part of everyday cooking.
People don’t want to waste food that is still good to eat
Because Finland was once a low-income country, many people remain mindful about not preparing excessive amounts of food or throwing it away, in order to avoid waste. For this reason, older generations believe that you should always finish everything on your plate. In buffet-style restaurants, people tend to serve themselves only as much food as they can eat.
People often cook at home and explore new recipes
Both men and women in Finland take part in cooking and grocery shopping. Cooking is a popular hobby, and people eagerly try new flavours and recipes. New cuisines and food trends are becoming increasingly familiar to Finns through the internet, media, and travel, especially as Finland becomes more globalized.
It is common in Finland to buy all groceries at once from a large supermarket. The grocery trade is dominated by a few major chains, each with its own loyalty program designed to encourage customers to concentrate their shopping within one chain.
Shopping at markets, market halls, or small specialty shops is less common but still possible, especially in larger cities. Markets are popular during the summer, and there may also be local farmers’ market events during that time.
Potatoes used to be the cornerstone of Finnish meals but today also rice and pasta are common. A typical weekday lunch is healthy and varied, and lunch restaurants often offer traditional Finnish dishes on their daily changing menus.
At restaurants, people often eat pizza, hamburgers, sushi, pasta dishes, Chinese food, or food from the Middle East. Usually, each person in a group orders their own dish, and food is not commonly shared. It is also typical for each person to pay only for their own meal.
For many, it is important to eat healthy and ethically produced food
Some people want to ensure that the food they eat is healthy, organic, and locally produced. Many have reduced their intake of fat and salt and increased the amount of vegetables and fruit in their diet.
It is also important for many that animals raised for food are treated ethically. Some people completely avoid animal-based foods because they do not want to harm animals or because they want to reduce the carbon emissions caused by food production. Veganism and vegetarianism have become more common in Finland over the past couple of decades. A vegan diet excludes all animal-derived products.
In rural areas, many people keep animals like chickens or cows and grow their own vegetables. Even in suburban areas of cities, it is common to have a small home garden. So-called urban farming is also fairly popular. For a small fee, residents can rent a garden plot from the municipality or city, where they can grow vegetables and other plants throughout the summer.
Traditional Finnish cuisine has been mild and simple
Traditionally, Finnish food has been mild. Since spices had to be brought from far away and were expensive, people used them sparingly. Finland was a poor country for a long time, and food was modest and simple. Typical Finnish dishes include meat or fish with boiled potatoes.
Traditional cuisine in Finland is divided into two main regions. Western Finland has been strongly influenced by Swedish cuisine, while Eastern Finnish cuisine shows Russian influences. In addition, reindeer herding is practiced in Northern Finland, so reindeer meat is often available there.
The presence of Russian culinary traditions makes Finnish cuisine distinct among the Nordic countries. Finns like to cook with mushrooms and often prepare dishes like Karelian stew (karjalanpaisti) and Karelian pies (karjalanpiirakat). Finnish Easter dishes and quark-based pastries closely resemble those found in Russian cuisine. Dishes shared with the Swedes include pea soup (hernekeitto), oven pancake (pannukakku), meatballs (lihapullat), cinnamon buns (kanelipulla), and Shrove buns (laskiaispulla)
What ingredients are used often depends on the season
Since many vegetables are imported to Finland during the winter months, they tend to be more expensive than in summer. Nowadays, almost all types of food ingredients are available year-round, but many people still follow seasonal availability when cooking.
The harvest season is the time when vegetables, fruits, and berries are at their best and most abundant. Prices are also lower during the harvest season than at other times. For example, in June, Finnish strawberries are widely available and more affordable. In winter, however, strawberries are imported and significantly more expensive.
Berries, mushrooms, fish, and game are popular foods
Game, berries, fish, and mushrooms have been an important part of Finnish cuisine. Game includes animals such as moose and birds. In rural areas, some people hunt them in hunting groups. A permit is required for hunting. Fishing also often requires a license, and it is only allowed in designated areas.
Foraging for berries and mushrooms in forests in the summer and autumn is quite popular. Foraging is allowed in forests, but not in strict nature reserves, national parks, or someone’s private yard. Typically, berries and mushrooms will be frozen and used to prepare various dishes and baked goods during the winter. Some people also make jams and juices from berries. It is important to be able to identify the mushrooms you pick for eating, as some mushrooms that grow in Finnish forests are poisonous.
Everyday meals vary greatly
Some people eat fish, meat, and potatoes during the week, while others prepare pasta dishes or pick up takeout sushi from a restaurant. Frozen pizzas and microwaveable ready meals are also commonly bought from the store. Typical weekday favourites include oven-baked salmon, macaroni casserole with ground meat (lihamakaronilaatikko), meatballs, minced meat sauce (jauhelihakastike), fried fish, as well as soups, various oven-baked stews, and porridges.
Weekday lunch is typically eaten in the cafeteria at school or work
A typical feature of everyday eating in Finland is mass catering (joukkoruokailu). Children receive free school meals, which consist of a hot lunch. In day care, children are served not only lunch but also breakfast and an afternoon snack. Some working adults have lunch in a cafeteria or restaurant, while others bring their own packed meals. These can be stored in the workplace refrigerator until lunchtime. Many restaurants that serve dinner also offer a lunch buffet, where customers can serve themselves the dishes they want.
A typical breakfast includes porridge, bread, and coffee
In Finland, it’s common to have porridge, bread, and coffee or tea for breakfast. Many Finns enjoy porridge and prepare it in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven. Porridge is typically made from oat flakes or whole oat grains, using either water or milk. Finland also produces a wide variety of breads. The uniqueness of Finnish bread culture lies in its love for rye bread and many ways it is baked.
Schools, kindergartens, and workplaces follow strict meal schedule
Breakfast is eaten in the morning depending on what time one needs to wake up. Lunch is served earlier than in many other countries, typically between 10:30 and 12:00. Lunch is usually a hot meal, meaning many people eat two warm meals a day. The lunch break is rather short both at school and at work. Because lunch is eaten early, many people have dinner at home around five or six o’clock. In addition, it is common to have an evening snack around eight. Snacks between main meals are especially important for children.
Many celebrations have their own traditional foods
Finland has a rich tradition of festive foods. On different holidays, people prepare or buy foods, baked goods, drinks, and treats that are typical for the celebration.
At Easter, lamb is served, and on May Day people drink sima
Traditional Finnish Easter meals often include lamb, eggs, mämmi, pasha, and chocolate eggs. Eggs are decorated and painted—a tradition that originally comes from the Orthodox Church. Mämmi is a sweet pudding made from malt and rye flour, baked in the oven and typically eaten with cream and sugar. Pasha is a sweet dessert made from quark.
On May Day (vappu), people drink sima, eat doughnuts (munkki) and funnel cakes (tippaleipä). Sima is a homemade fermented drink made from water, lemon, and sugar. It may contain a small amount of alcohol.
At Midsummer, people grill outdoors, and in late summer, crayfish parties are held
During Midsummer, many people celebrate summer by grilling outdoors. Sausages, meat, and vegetables are cooked on the grill. Around Midsummer, the first new season potatoes arrive in stores. They are boiled and eaten with butter, dill, and herring.
Later in the summer, some people eat crayfish and host crayfish parties for their friends. The crayfish party tradition originates from the Swedish-speaking coastal regions.
At Christmas, traditional delicacies are served
Traditional Finnish Christmas food is both diverse and delicious. A fun tradition is adding a single peeled almond to the rice porridge—whoever finds it is said to have good luck. Glögi, a hot spiced juice drink, is served during Christmas time with gingerbread cookies. Sometimes, glögi also contains alcohol. On St. Lucia’s Day, saffron buns shaped like the letter “S” are eaten.
The holiday table is filled with classic Finnish Christmas treats. Many people bake Christmas ham themselves at home. It is served with boiled potatoes and casserole dishes—oven-baked root vegetable dishes such as swede (lanttulaatikko), potato (perunalaatikko), and carrot (porkkanalaatikko) casseroles. The Christmas table also includes rosolli, a salad made from boiled, chopped root vegetables. Fish is a big part of the Christmas meal, and many consider several types of herring (silli), Baltic herring (silakka), gravlax (graavilohi), and lutefisk (lipeäkala) to be the best Christmas treats.
Wintertime treats include Shrove buns, Runeberg torte, and blinis
In February, stores sell cakes known as Runeberg tortes (runabergintorttu) and Shrove buns (laskiaispulla). Runeberg tortes have an almond flavour and are topped with raspberry jam. Shrove bun is a large round bun that is sliced in half, filled with whipped cream and either almond paste or berry jam. On Shrove Tuesday, people also eat pea soup (hernekeitto). Other early winter delicacies include blinis, which are pancakes made from buckwheat flour. They are part of the Orthodox Shrovetide tradition.
Coffee is widely consumed in Finland
In Finland, people usually drink water, milk, or sometimes piimä (buttermilk) with meals. Finland has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. Coffee is enjoyed in the morning, during the day, and in the evening—at work and at home, during celebrations and everyday life, in cafés or even on outdoor hikes. A coffee break at work is a pleasant social pause from working. It's a time to catch up with colleagues. Instead of coffee, one can also choose to drink tea or some other beverages.
Drinking alcohol is common
Alcoholic beverages have been produced and consumed in Finland for centuries. While the Finnish climate is too cold for growing grapes, it is well-suited for cultivating potatoes and grains, which are commonly used to make strong spirits. In addition, many Finns also enjoy drinking beer and wine.
In Finland, some people consume a lot of alcohol. Both men and women drink alcohol, and intoxication is not seen as particularly shameful in Finnish culture, unlike in some other societies. Many Finns feel that alcohol helps them become more sociable and relaxed.
Each year, alcohol contributes to numerous serious health problems, social issues, and even deaths. However, alcohol consumption in Finland has been declining in recent years. Young people tend to drink less than older generations.