Food in Finland II: Coffee time, Finnish apples and berries

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Those who start to explore Finnish culture will soon find out that the coffee break has a firm place in the day. It is a light moment that pleasantly divides the different parts of the day. There is something to look forward to. Finns cherish these pleasant moments of everyday life, so they always find time for coffee. And they don't do anything else while they're having it. In the work environment, they go to the common room to over a cup of coffee chat or just quietly recharge their batteries, depending on their mood. Of course, there must be a sweet treat to go with it. There are also countless cosy cafés in Finland where to enjoy something delicious.




I remember my breaks at my former work when I was drinking coffee while working on the computer. Everyone would probably tap their foreheads if I took my cup aside, unpack some cake, and enjoy both without rushing. I can't imagine. But I didn´t drink calmly coffee even at home where I had the possibility. I was writing, cleaning, cooking, and every now and then sipped from the cup. It was just a habit. Gradually, I've found how nice it is to sit down at the table, preferably with someone else, to slow down and focus on the present moment. It calms the mind.

And what do Finns have for coffee? Among the sweet pastries, pulla is the top in Finland. It is a light yeast dough which smells of cardamom. Many Finns eat it every day. The dough for pulla is the basis for many other sweet pastries, such as the cinnamon buns korvapuustit. Soft, fluffy, great smell, sprinkled with coarse sugar. Said in one word, a delight. Korvapuusti is a cure for a sad mood, a suitable companion for a rainy day at home with a book and also for a coffee with a friend or a beloved.


Korvapuusti

Some sweet pastries and cakes come only at certain times of the year and are associated with a holiday, or a significant event. Finns love rituals, and one of the important one is to enjoy each of these goodies when their time comes. There is nothing to hesitate over.

Laskiaispulla appears in the Mardi Gras period before Easter. It is a bun of yeast dough that is cut in half and filled with either almond paste or strawberry jam and a generous dose of a whipped cream.

Runebergintorttu is a small cylindrical cake that contains ground almonds and rum. The top is decorated with a dot of raspberry jam and surrounded by a circle of sugar icing. This dessert is available around 5 February in honour of the birth of Finnish poet and lyricist Johan Ludvig Runeberg. It is said that this sweet pastry was Runeberg´s favourite cake, baked by his wife.

Tippaleipä can´t miss during the celebration of Vappu Day on 1. May. Tippaleipä reminds a ball of wool, however it is fried tangled strings of dough coated in sugar. It is crunchy. Often it is washed down with a drink sima. It is a sparkling honey lemonade, slightly fermented. Moreover, Finns eat on Vappu Day munkki, which are classic donuts coated in sugar. Finns like munkit very much and they are available during the whole year, especially on markets.

Finnish apples and berries

The most popular fruit are the forest berries. Lingonberries, cranberries, crowberries and blueberries are the basis of many sweet baking recipes, and are used to make marmalades and syrups. A speciality of the north is a cloudberry, which bears yellow-orange berries that are similar in shape to raspberries but completely different in taste. Neither sweet nor sour, they have a specific strong aroma. They are delicious with vanilla ice cream. Another popular fruit is a sea buckthorn, which is a native species in Finland, but it is widely planted and produces a rich harvest. It is used, for example, in teas, juice drinks and sweets.




Heart-warming period of many Finns is the time when Finnish apples ripen. Their eyes light up and they are willing to pay without hesitation the price up to four times higher compared to price for foreign apples. I also heard some conversations about apples. Finns were telling each other how Finnish apples scented their appartements, or how they were enchanted by the smell of Finnish apples when they arrived at the supermarket. It's true that once I found a bunch of apples outside in the dark just by smelling them. I guess there are some aromatic varieties planted in Finland. Although some of the apples lack the kiss of the sun for full flavour as have our Czech ones. And what is made from Finnish apples? Nothing. They're just eaten simply as they are because it would be a waste to use them for anything else. I'm literally forbidden to use them for baking a strudel, our Czech apple delicacy.




 

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