PARIS, Aug 30 — Focus on Finland: Between the country’s young prime minister who isn’t afraid to hit the dance floor and numerous innovations, Finland may not make a lot of international headlines every day but it has originated a lot of unique practices.
For this special report, we answer the question: what do Finns eat for breakfast? In this Nordic country where temperatures fall between -10 and -25 degrees in winter, and where sunshine is largely absent, food plays a central role in feeling energetic throughout the day.
To get a good start in the morning, a traditional Finnish breakfast is a rather hearty affair.
Care for a slice of ruisleipä? This sourdough rye bread is traditionally found on breakfast menus. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but originally it came in a thin shape with a hole in the middle to hang it up for storage.
Before eating it, it was slightly moistened to soften it. Today, it can be round and thick or angular.
Finns spread it with butter, jam, ham or cheese. When it comes to cheese they generally choose leipäjuusto; made from cow’s milk, it is nicknamed the “squeaky cheese” because of the sensation and sound when you eat it.
If you like white bread, you might not be satisfied. But for lovers of rye bread, a second recipe is also widely used throughout Santa’s homeland. Rieska is an unleavened bread.
Each region has its own variety because this rye bread is baked with local cereals. In general, it is made of barley flour, wheat and butter.
Another essential breakfast element is coffee, which Finnish people love, consuming about 12 kilograms of it per person per year, compared to 6.5 kilograms in Canada. In this country where daylight hours in December don’t exceed 6, coffee is a solution for staying awake and alert.
Moreover, in the face of sub-zero temperatures, it is a good way to warm up and socialize. In fact, there is a cultural side to coffee consumption here.
For every occasion — wedding, sports victory, and even after voting (vaalikahvit) — there is a cup of coffee, It’s difficult to ignore the traditional kawa. — ETX Studio
