Meet Finland

Finland is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern part of the country. It is the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 342 municipalities. Finland also boasts extreme seasons: summertime sunshine lasts for two full months, without a single sunless night. Dark winters, on the other hand, may not see more than a few hours of twilight for nearly two months.

Traditional Food

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  Karelian Pastries

  Karelian pasties are from the historical provence of Karelia, and today are traditionally eaten throughout Finland. The oldest pastries usually had a rye crust and the common fillings were barley and talkkuna. The 19th century introduced potato and buckwheat as new fillings, and later, due to trade, also rice and millet. Nowadays, the most common recipe contains butter mixed with boiled egg, which is spread over the hot pastries before eating.