Christmas foods of Helsinki to try
OK, first things first. According to culture experts, only a few of the Finnish Christmas dishes can truly be called homegrown. Especially in Helsinki, eating at the yuletide table is in fact a wholly multicultural affair! But, as many foods have been eaten for decades or centuries, they have established themselves as “traditional” – and people love to either love them or hate them. (If there ever was a small-talk topic for Finns then Christmas food is it!).
In Helsinki, there are plenty of places that serve the traditional Christmas meal often during a longer-than-usual lunch break. At dinner time, many restaurants have started to try out new foods – such as vegan and vegetarian options – with root vegetables and fish being more popular than ever. Helsinki is surrounded by the beautiful Baltic Sea and clean nature after all.
…and it’s not all about lunch or dinner. Hot drinks and desserts are just as important – try ginger bread or plum pastry with a cup of glögi by an outdoor fireplace and you’ll see what we mean.
The “traditional” Christmas foods
The traditional Finnish Christmas table’s usual suspects are: rosolli (beetroot salad) and laatikot, i.e. casseroles made of root vegetables such as potato, carrot or swede. The last one – lanttulaatikko – being one of those classics that us Finns can rightfully call our own. It is also one of those dishes – like the Easter rye-based dessert mämmi – that you either truly love or hate.
Then there is ham. A controversial dish these days and many conscious Helsinkian restaurants are swapping it to vegan and vegetarian options (the pigs are grateful). Fish is too is increasingly popular at Christmas. While pickled herring and boiled lutefisk (another pet peeve!) have traditionally been served, they have been joined by cured and smoked salmon, as well as delicious vendace roe. Pike marinated in lemon is a more recent addition to the Christmas table.
With every dish the most important aspect is seasonality and locality. Finnish ingredients, especially locally sourced ones, are highly valued, and each Christmas chef likes to add his or her own personal touch.
Christmas traditions evolve slowly over time and they can – and will – always be played with. For example, why eat all the seasonal dishes on the same day and not spread the pleasure over several days? The advent period offers many excuses for enjoying your favourite treats well before Christmas Eve. What’s best, by enjoying seasonal dishes at different cafés and restaurants throughout December, you get to try a fantastic range of flavours!
Fish swim in the market halls and restaurants
So, fish. A very Helsinkian thing to eat over Christmas – and throughout the year. If you wish to buy some yourself then head to Helsinki’s market halls and fishmongers. All varieties of Christmas fish can be purchased in them.
To help you make your selection you can walk around the Old Market Hall and taste samples of white fish cured in gin, gubbröra (egg-anchovy salad) made with herring and cold-smoked salmon on rye bread served at the different counters. For a more international touch, you can even ask the staff at E. Eriksson’s to open a few oysters to taste.
In addition to oysters, fish roe and caviar are very much part of the Finnish Christmas season. Treat yourself to the most exclusive seasonal cuisine at the tiny Finlandia Caviar restaurant by the South Harbour. Helsinki’s restaurants also serve delicious fish dishes, from classic fried herring at Salve to exquisitely prepared portions at the city’s fine dining establishments. Salmon soup is a Finnish classic that you can enjoy at the cosy restaurants by the Market Square and especially at Fisken på Disken at the Kortteli restaurant complex on the top floor of Kamppi shopping centre. Executive Chef Ari Ruoho also serves the freshest and most delicious catch of the day at Restaurant Nokka in Katajanokka.
Exquisite food and hot drinks at Christmas markets
In keeping with Finnish Christmas traditions, the iconic outdoor Helsinki Christmas Market offers something familiar and something new each year. The merry atmosphere attracts the hottest names in the local restaurant scene, who get to serve their own specialties to the crowds of visitors. Choose for yourself whether you would like something hot or cold to drink and something big or small to eat! Riisipuuro a.k.a rice porridge may not sound so fancy but when it is made well and served with sugar, cinnamon and oat milk – it is the comfort manna from heaven!
What could be more comforting than bowl of steaming rice porridge? Usually the porridge is served with sugar and cinnamon on top. Some prefer it with a fruit broth known as “fruit soup.” Traditionally an almond is hidden in the pot of porridge. Whoever finds the almond in her or his serving gets to make a wish. Sometimes rice porridge is served for breakfast.
When the weather gets cold, you should definitely treat yourself to a steaming cup of mulled wine, or glögi as it is known locally. The cafés and bars all serve their own special varieties, combining different fruit juices and new spices each year to come up with something truly seasonal. What will be this year’s hit drink – light or dark, hot or cold? The trendiest glögi spices include spruce and fir, while apples provide a nice fruitiness. Ginger snaps, cheeses and other finger food go great with hot drinks!
Try Café Regatta‘s glögi outside by their cute fireplace overlooking the frozen sea. A local favourite!
Gingerbread men, green balls and plum jam
OK, we can’t exactly claim gingerbread. Its roots can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece (around 2400 BC to be exact!) and apparently Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the idea of making them resemble men . But it does not stop us from thinking of gingerbread as our very own traditional Finnish Christmas staple. Or competing in building some crazy gingerbread houses – like the iconic Stockmann’s Department Store – every year.
Equally, no one ever thought marmalade is a Finnish invention. Yet, Vihreät kuulat are displayed on pretty much every Helsinkian Christmas dessert table and many feel fiercely about them. These soft green balls’ recipe was made by famous Karl Fazer, the great father of Finnish confectionary, and have been manufactured since the late 1800s. Finns eat around 17 million of them each Christmas!
To get into a very sweet Helsinkian Christmas spirit, follow the confectioner’s footsteps into Fazer Café Kluuvikatu 3 where he opened his first patisserie in 1891. The historic French-Russian café & cake shop still makes most of its sold goodies and Christmas is by far the best time to visit this iconic venue. In addition to piparit (that’s gingerbread in Finnish), vihreät kuulat and glögi, you can also taste some of season’s best luumutortut (Finnish Christmas pastry filled with plum jam). While munching away you can see the confectioners at work behind glass.
Merry Christmas! Hyvää joulua! God Jul!
& (eye) candy
Sweet stuff
