Traditional Christmas Recipes from Finland

Finnish cuisine is influenced by Russia in the east and Sweden in the west. There are a variety of dishes depending on the region. So, I think there are some differences in Christmas cuisine depending on the region.

My partner is from Oulu. Here I would like to introduce some of the Christmas dishes I have experienced in Northern Finland. I will add more as I go along, so don’t miss it!

contents

Appetizers = Boxed Dishes
Salads
Graavilohi – Gravlax
Christmas Ham
Milk Porridge & Fruit Soup
Christmas Cake
Christmas Tarts
Gingerbread
Glögi
All Finnish Christmas Recipes

Appetizers = Boxed Dishes

A common dish in all regions is a casserole called a box dish. This appetizer is slowly baked in a box = laatikko. It is made with molasses, which gives it a slightly sweet taste, and the aroma of spices makes this dish remind you of Christmas.
Famous items are potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and liver.

Perunalaatikko, Potato Casserole, Finnish Christmas Food

Laatikko is a Finnish Christmas staple. One of them is a sweet and tasty potato casserole. It takes a lot of time and effort, but the taste is excellent.

Carrot Casserole, Porkkanalaatikko, Finnish Christmas Food

Laatikko = boxed meal, a Finnish Christmas staple. This is one of them, a slightly sweet carrot casserole. This is made with carrots and rice. It is a nostalgic taste.

Rutabaga Casserole, Lanttulaatikko, Finnish Christmas Food

Laatikko = boxed dishes, a staple of Finnish Christmas. One of them is a slightly sweet rutabaga casserole. Rutabaga is a kind of turnip.

Salads

Rosolli is the most common Christmas salad. Other than that, we also get the standard salads like potato salad and mushroom salad.

Finnish Potato Salad with Diced Pickles and Apples

In Finland, hard potatoes with a firm texture are popular. The potato salad is also chopped into cubes to enjoy the texture of the ingredients.

Finnish Mushroom Salad with Sour Cream, Sienisalaatti

Sienisalaatti, or mushroom salad in Finland, is a salad of mushrooms and sour cream. It is served on bread or crackers.

Graavilohi – Gravlax

We have Graavilohi, or gravlax, which is raw salmon cured in salt.

Graavilohi Gravlax - Salted Salmon from Northern Europe, Finland

The Finnish Christmas appetizer is graavilohi. It is a Nordic salted salmon, also known as gravlax. Just salting salmon is an easy way to enjoy a Nordic Christmas.

Christmas Ham

Christmas ham = Joulukinkku, which is synonymous with Christmas. From around October, large Christmas hams are sold in the frozen section of supermarkets. It is customary to buy a frozen one and bake it slowly at home. They are served with mustard = sinappi.

Milk Porridge & Fruit Soup

This is another Finnish classic. Milk porridge is served with sweet sticky fruit soup. The fruit soup is usually made with four kinds of dried fruits: plums, apricots, apples and pears. It is also delicious with figs.

Milk Porridge - A Traditional Finnish Christmas Dish

Milk porridge is a symbolic food of Christmas in Finland. The tradition is to put almonds in the pot and whoever hits them gets a present.

Christmas Mixed Fruit Soup - Piece of Oishi

Christmas soup, why not an all-around-the-year soup? A sweet and healthy recipe that goes well with rice porridge.

Christmas Cake

Finland has a wide variety of bakery products. Even a single Christmas cake can be very different. There are spice cakes made with gingerbread spices, cakes made with plums, a popular Christmas fruit, and cakes made with glögi.

Finnish Spice Cake - Gingerbread Spice Cake

Gingerbread is a Christmas staple. Gingerbread spices are used not only in cookies but also in cakes. Sprinkle powdered sugar to make it Christmassy.

Finnish Date Cake Taatelikakku, Flavor of Coffee or Glögi

The taste of Finnish date cake varies depending on whether coffee or glögi is used. The pureed dates give this fruit cake with a moist texture.

Plum Cake - Finnish Christmas Cake with Yoghurt, Egg-free

Plums are an essential fruit for Christmas in Finland. The Finnish plum cake is made with yogurt instead of eggs.

Christmas Tarts

Christmas tarts = Joulutorttu are another classic Christmas dish. It is a simple pastry that can be made by cutting and shaping a store-bought pie crust, putting jam on it, and baking it. Plums are also the standard for this jam. Apricots and apples are also used.

Joulutorttu, Finnish Traditional Christmas Pastry

Christmas tarts filled with plum jam are a traditional dessert found in every Nordic country. In Finland, it is called Joulutoruttu.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread = Piparikakku is another must-have dessert for Christmas in Finland. It is delicious on its own, or as a canapé with persimmons and blue cheese.

Finnish Traditional Christmas Gingerbread, Piparkakku

This is a recipe for gingerbread, a Finnish Christmas staple. Each family has its own taste, but this recipe is not too sweet.

Gingerbread Canapé with Persimmon and Blue Cheese

Gingerbread, persimmons, and blue cheese may be a surprising combination. But it is very delicious. This is a new recipe for Christmas.

How to Make Gingerbread Spice, for Baking and Latte

Gingerbread spice is used in Finnish and European recipes. If you can't buy it, you can easily make it by mixing a few different spices.

Glögi

The Finnish Christmas drink is Glögi. It is a hot wine with a hint of spice.

Glögi, Finnish Hot Wine for Christmas, Glühwein

Glögi is the most popular Christmas drink in Finland and the Nordic countries. Here is a basic recipe using cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger.

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