The Artisan Travel Blog

A taste of Lappish food

Being one of those people who tends to plan their day around meals and loves to try out new food, one of my favourite parts about travelling to Lapland is sampling the Scandinavian food which is rich, varied and plentiful.

In the depths of Northern Finland and Sweden, food is (logically!) sourced firstly from the landscape – fish are caught in the lakes, reindeers are bred in the forest and berries and mushrooms are foraged from the ground. This gives the food here a natural and fresh taste and I love the fact that the meals here feel so hearty and wholesome.

The very first dish I enjoyed on a visit here was a simple one – sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes and lingonberries, but in the bitingly cold arctic environment it was, quite honestly, perfect.

Reindeer meat, as well as being served sautéed, is also found in stews and served as a fillet on its own. Whilst it may be initially unnerving to know that you are eating a creature so closely tied to the magic of Christmas, what you soon learn here is that reindeer meat is plentiful and delicious and one of the main sources of revenue for the local Sámi herders, so if you are not a vegetarian it is very much worth trying!
I'm not much of a fish eater, but my colleagues speak often of the fish dishes that are served across Lapland too. These include salmon, perch, herring, whitefish and arctic char, which are usually caught locally and served as fresh as possible.

Rye bread is another food that is found in abundance here, and as a bit of a carb fiend I tried it in all of its guises – as flatbread, crisp bread and sliced bread, most commonly at breakfast.

What surprised me most about beverages in Finland and Sweden was the amount of coffee which is consumed here. I soon learned that it is an absolute staple, served everywhere and drunk several times a day. In terms of overall coffee consumption per capita, Finland and Sweden rank second and third respectively underneath The Netherlands so be prepared to be offered coffee on an almost hourly basis. Coffee drinking too, is very much a social occasion and is a great way to get to know the locals.

As the trips that we offer are usually hotel based there is more often than not a delicious range of international dishes served, but I would urge you to definitely try out some of Lapland's most delicious cuisine!

Read 4351 times Last modified on Tuesday, 20 February 2018

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