Fresh ingredients, bold flavors, traditions, and outdoors – Get to taste the best of Finnish Nature!
Wild Herbs, Mushrooms, and Berries
Finnish happiness comes from its nature, and local nature also brings amazing seasonal treasures – such as Wild Herbs, Mushrooms, and Berries. Mushroom and berry picking is also part of everyman’s right in Finland. Based on the season, you may find different types of berries, from blueberries (July-August) and lingonberries (whole autumn) to cranberries (October-November) and mushrooms (mainly during autumn). You may use these nature treasures for your Outdoor Picnic, or you can come to learn how to spot, store and make delicious superfoods from wild herbs with a local guide while spending some precious time surrounded by Finnish nature.
Fishing and Traditional ice Fishing
Many bucket lists for Finland include fishing – not a surprise when considering Finland is home to a thousand lakes. In Espoo itself, you may find about 95 beautiful lakes and the surrounding Baltic Sea. However, with fishing comes several regulations in order to keep nature and biodiversity for future generations. Therefore, if you are planning to dive into Finnish culinary culture through fishing, remember to check regulations or, even better - book a guided tour, where everything is explained and in line with the fishing rules.
Extra tip from us: If you wish to skip the fishing part and move directly to the testing part – you shouldn’t miss the Restaurant PLATS and their fantastic menu that come with its own fisherman's daily catch!
Cooking with wilderness chefs
There is an unwritten rule that food made outdoors always tastes better. In Finland, one of the most traditional ways of cooking is using open fire. You will find many outdoor cooking shelters and campfires around Finland’s National Parks and recreational areas, where you are more than welcome to put your skills to use and prepare, for example, Outdoor Picnic by Ari Ruoho’s recipe – the famous Finnish chef and owner of Michelin Guide restaurant Nokka. Note: remember to check fire alarm warnings and follow outdoor etiquette. Or you can practice and earn from experts in the field and book outdoor cooking experiences from Espoo’s wilderness guides.
Taste test your senses
Spending time in nature is also known for its benefit of awakening your senses. In Nuuksio National Park, you can test them at the unique Wine in the Woods experience – a place where wine and forest meet. You will be surrounded by the beauty of Nuuksio National Park and a great selection of wine ready for your taste test.
Finding the Inner Finn
Authentic local experiences can happen in many forms - through mystical stories, traditional cuisine, or very locally based places. Whether you choose to enter a traditional party by Nuuksion Taika, practice cooking traditional Finnish cuisine and recipes, or skip directly to the tasting part in some of Espoo’s restaurants using the local produce, you will be a step closer to finding your inner Finn.
Hero Image: Kathrin Deter