Fish

In a country of thousands of lakes, surrounded by the sea, fish is an important part of our cuisine. Our fresh fish is healthy and offers striking flavors. If you go to the main marketplace in Helsinki, you can buy fresh or smoked fish straight from the nearby archipelago’s fishermen.

Our restaurants offer fresh fish year round.  Typical dishes are steamed zander, barbequed whitefish or whitefish cooked whole in foil, grilled Baltic herring, and salted or smoked salmon. Gravadlax is delicious and its preparation method dates back to the 19th century – salmon is first sprinkled lightly with salt and sugar and then seasoned with dill and pepper.

Salmon

Salmon is probably the best-known fish in Finnish cuisine. It can be caught in the Northern rivers of Finnish Lapland or from the Baltic Sea. However, salmon found in grocery stores is usually imported from Norway because of its lower price. Salmon can be cooked in various ways: it can be smoked, grilled, salted raw, fried, flared or served in a deliciously creamy salmon soup.

Vendace

Vendace is a small lake fish, usually caught with a trap or net. This white fish belongs to the salmon genus. Vendace is usually served fried in butter or as an ingredient in the traditional fish pastry, “kalakukko.” Vendace roe is a true delicacy - the finest and most expensive roe in Finland. It is light yellow, and many have claimed that it is better than caviar!

Baltic herring

Baltic herring has traditionally been a cornerstone in the diets of Finns living in coastal areas. Baltic herrings are traditionally smoked or salted, or preserved in various marinades. Each fall, a several-day fair is organized at the main marketplace in Helsinki where you can taste differently prepared and preserved Baltic herrings and Baltic herring dishes.

Pike perch

Pike perch is a very delicious fish, and it is served in the finest restaurants of Finland. Meat is white and firm, and the taste is very sophisticated. Pike perch filets are often served fried, accompanied by a white wine sauce.  Pike perch can be caught in the lakes of Southern and Central Finland, as well as in the Gulf of Finland and the archipelago.

Whitefish (or lavaret)

Like vendace, whitefish is a relative of salmon; its meat is white and firm. Along with pike perch and salmon, whitefish is considered among the most sophisticated fish in Finland.  Whitefish tastes delicious when smoked or grilled, and especially when salted raw. It grows in both the sea and lakes, and can be caught with nets.

Perch

Perch are rather small fish, and can be caught from both lakes and the sea. This white fish can be used in chowder, or like vendace as an ingredient in “kalakukko.”

For more information about Finnish fish, please visit:

Eat and Joy: Made in Finland

Eat and Joy: 16 Best Finnish Fish

Roe

We have a variety of roes available in Finland – rainbow trout, Baltic herring, lavaret, vendace, burbot, pike, perch and ruffs. Various types of roe form an important part of Finnish buffets and Christmas tables. Roes are often flavored with a hint of salt and white pepper, and they are served with sour cream and chopped onion. Why don’t you try some delicious Finnish roe on toast or with blinis?

For more information about roe, please visit:

Eat and Joy: Six most common Finnish roes

Crayfish

Joyful crayfish dinners are a specialty in the evenings of late summer. The taste of crayfish grown in the cool waters of Finland is spectacular, and cannot be compared to frozen imports. Families and friends gather around platters of boiled crayfish, accompanied by dill, toast and schnapps.   

For more information about crayfish, please visit:

Eat and Joy: Crayfish and Kossu