Hey guys, as you may or may not know, I am currently in my hometown New York City! My flight consisted of an overnight layover in Helsinki, so I hit up my friend Marinka and we did a quick tour of the central area. It quickly became something of a food tour since, well, it's me, and there were just so many foreign foods to try!
My first night in, my friend Marinka picked me up from the airport and we went to a 24-hour grocery store. I have YET to find a 24 hour store in Berlin, especially on a Sunday, so I am in awe at how much more advanced Helsinki is already. But more so, I was intrigued by this Licorice flavored ice cream??! Finns love their licorice, eh?
The loot from the grocery store. Oh and I had that Susu bar yesterday and it reminds me of Twix candy bars.
The next morning we walked by a farmer's market near the ports.
THIS. It's OMG-good. It's like having your fish and chips in one go. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the fish or what this snack is called so if anyone knows, please inform me!
After maybe 20 minutes or so, we spontaneously decided to look for reindeer. It sparked from Marinka's idea to go get some reindeer waffles but because the place was closed, we went to a gourmet food store in the basement of a department store instead.
The man at the counter was so friendly and also recommended a lingonberry tart. It was very good--it's not a sweet berry so it went well with the savory tart. The reindeer, I concluded, tastes like a smoked ham. It could be the way it was prepared in the dish (also Marinka said the texture is quite different in real life) but none the less, it was salty and delicious.
Browsing the supermarket portion of the department store, I was somehow amused by a cereal called "Rude Health."
And then we found this jelly!
I have never heard of cloudberries before! I did a bit of research and they seem to be indigenous to Northern Europe and Canada. I wanted to take a jar with me so badly but we couldn't find a jar 100g or smaller (I only had a carry on so it was vital that it fit those requirements). I hope one day I can try this fantasticle sounding fruit . . .
Finally we ended up at Frazer cafe. It was quite big and pretty full of people enjoying lunch. I was completely distracted by all the cute Moomin goodies they had before heading to the pastry aisle and picking something out.
A butter eye? Well, it makes sense since it's buttery on top and looks like an eye. The taste was pretty similar to a Swedish cinnamon roll so in other words, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I really want to come back to Helsinki and visit the other islands (and try to swing for a day other than Monday, when all museums are closed). I hope you guys liked what you saw and if you know of anything I should try in Finland but missed, let me know! Ciao!
