Freshly served: the pure Nordic flavours of food from Finland
On an organic farm north of the Arctic Circle, it’s the first frosts of autumn that bring a distinct sweetness to the turnip crops. And it’s the long sun-kissed summer days followed by nightless nights that ripen the dozens of edible berry varieties to juicy perfection just in time for picking.
These are just some of the qualities that makes food from Finland so appetizing.
“Finnish food is highly valued by restauranteurs, food manufacturers, and also in export markets from Europe to Asia for good reason” says Esa Wrang, food sector director at ExportFinland.
“Our water, soil, air and forests are pure and clean. Our produce is renowned for being wholesome, tasty and in many cases certified organic. And we want to raise that awareness level even higher in the countries where Finnish food is considered most desirable” says Wrang.
Food From Finland is the official government-funded programme to promote Finnish foods, drinks and the food industry — and its members include some of the biggest food and produce organizations in the country; as well as many smaller, highly specialized companies.
This summer we’re launching our own distinct social media channels to give a boost to export efforts, and to introduce a new audience to a broad range of Food from Finland. So in the coming months, through our Facebook and Twitter accounts, you’ll meet farmers, brew masters and chefs; you’ll (virtually) sample delicious seasonal produce and you’ll hear from some of Finland’s top chefs on the ingredients they like to cook with. We’ll highlight the latest Finnish food trends, and take you to food festivals all across the country.
The appetite abroad for food from Finland has never been healthier. Chef Kim Palhus has traveled to trade fairs from France to China in his role as an official Food Ambassador.
“In Paris, were I have been many times to promote Finland and Finnish food, there is so much energy and excitement around food that even a small country like Finland is quite well known there” says Palhus. “In Shanghai, our food culture, our cooking methods, our wild berries and mushrooms are not so familiar, so we have some major potential markets in China” he adds.
“When we have a food event or promotion abroad, I customize some of our traditional dishes. Recently I have custom made Karelian stew… and also our tasty soup dishes. I like to cook on an open fire or smoke fish and meat. I´m proud to cook with Finnish root vegetables, berries, potatoes and grains” says Chef Kim.
In the next few months we’ll be focusing our efforts on seasonal themes on Facebook and Twitter, accompanied by some in-depth feature articles. We begin in July looking at the start of berry season — an important export crop for Finland — and we’ll turn a spotlight on honey and Finland’s alcohol export industry this month as well.
“My idea of things that make Finnish food so special are the cooking methods, the seasons of the year, the fresh tastes and the variety of products” says Chef Kim Palhus. “Think about midsummer and its flavourful ingredients, or autumn and the game season. Depending on the time of year, you can have potatoes, root vegetables, grains, sauces, meat or fish all on the same plate!”
One last thing to look out for, our brand new Food From Finland hash tag #nomfinland. We’re using this to promote the best of Finnish food, and encourage our readers to tag their own favourite Finnish food on Twitter, Facebook or other social media networks and join the community sharing Food from Finland with other fans online.
