Suomalainen ruoka

Finnish food is simple, but high-quality. It is based on the country's nature: fish, berries, mushrooms, meat and dairy products. The short northern summer has shaped what Finns eat.

When I moved to Finland, the food surprised me. It wasn't spiced like Mexican food. But gradually I began to appreciate the clean taste of the raw ingredients.

Finland's best-known food is perhaps the Karelian pasty. It is a small pasty whose crust is rye bread and inside is rice porridge. It is usually eaten with egg butter. This is a classic of the lunch table.

Salmon is another important food. Finns eat a lot of salmon — as smoked salmon, as soup or fried. Salmon soup is my winter favourite. It has salmon, potato, onion, carrot, cream and dill.

I didn't like blood sausage at first. It is a dark sausage made from pig's blood. It perhaps sounds strange, but with lingonberry jam it is good. Every time I visit Tampere, I eat blood sausage.

In Finland berries are important. In summer people go into the forest to pick berries. Every family has berries in the freezer for the whole winter. Berries bring vitamins, when there is little sun.

Finns love rye bread. It is a dark, thick-crusted bread. At first I didn't like it — I found it too heavy. Now I eat it every day. The taste is rich and complex.

Coffee is a religion for Finns. Finns drink the most coffee in the world — on average over nine kilos a year per person! At work there are two official coffee breaks that last fifteen minutes.

A bun is coffee's companion. The bun is a sweet bread to which cardamom is added. On a Saturday morning, when I smell buns from the oven, I feel I am at home.

Christmas foods are important. In the middle of the Christmas table is ham. In addition people eat potato casserole and fish dishes. At May Day again there is funnel cake and mead. I have changed my diet after moving to Finland. I now eat more fish, more rye bread, more berries. Finland has taught me that simple can be the best. The taste comes from freshness, not from spices.

Käytetyt sanastosanat: laadukas, perustua, maustaa, arvostaa, raaka-aine, klassikko, kuulostaa, pakastin, vitamiini, raskas, rikas, monimutkainen, uskonto, virallinen, kumppani, ruokavalio, tuoreus - laadukas — high-quality - perustua — to be based on - arvostaa — to appreciate - raaka-aine — raw ingredient - monimutkainen — complex - virallinen — official - ruokavalio — diet - tuoreus — freshness

1. Mihin suomalainen ruoka perustuu?
2. Kuinka paljon kahvia suomalaiset juovat vuodessa per henkilö?
3. Miten kirjoittajan ruokavalio on muuttunut Suomessa?
4. Vastaukset: 1. Maan luontoon: kalaan, marjoihin, sieniin, lihaan ja maitotuotteisiin. 2. Keskimäärin yli yhdeksän kiloa. 3. Hän syö enemmän kalaa, ruisleipää ja marjoja, vähemmän lihaa ja makeaa.