In Helsinki, Nora Pouillon, chef, educator, and organic food advocate, discovered kindred spirits in hosts Aki Arjola, chairman of UniOne Oy, the company behind Eat&Joy, a series of events showcasing Finnish food, and chef and restaurateur Jyrki Sukula, advocate for the organic food in the school lunch program. “They are working to rebuild the culinary culture of Finland,” says Pouillon. “Their broad strategy is to introduce organic local food and produce to the general public to foster connections and new access to the Finnish food legacy. People in Finland go to the supermarkets and buy things that come from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, wherever, and they forget their own culture. Through a farmers’ market, a store featuring local producers, and the school lunch program, Aki and Jyrki aim to bring Finnish food and culture back into the life of the Finnish people.” (more…)
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Aki and Jari met me for breakfast at the hotel. We walked through the old market hall, which is just in front of the hotel and has stores inside, like the Eastern Market in D.C. I bought a great poro skin (reindeer skin). I had a taste of dried poro meat but it was too salty for me. (more…)
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In the morning Jari picked me up and we went to Hakaniemen Hall, the local food market hall where we met Aki and Markus. There I had another photo shoot in front of an organic vegetable stand. I was introduced to the owner of a meat stand where they sold every kind of meat and poultry imaginable. They also sold goose liver that is not force-fed. She had many different roasts and cuts for Easter. The hall had great fish stands with ocean and lake fish, spices from Morocco, chocolate and bakeries. It was a very lively and diverse food hall. (more…)
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Aki picked me up early in the morning and we visited a small family owned bakery where they make the famous dark rye bread as well as pastries. When I was there the mother was kneading the dough and the daughter decorated the Easter sweet breads. Their assistant stuffed breads and made rolls etc. The son does the deliveries. At 9 am the mother put on a clean apron and went to the front of the building where their store is located and where she sells her freshly baked goods. The mother is in her 80s. The young student photographer was there to take pictures of us with the family. (more…)
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Aki, Jari and I had breakfast at the Hotel Klaus K, which is famous for offering the best Finnish breakfast. It was very interesting. On his breakfast buffet he indicated where every item came from and who produced it – cheeses, yogurt, fruit, fish, meats, assorted homemade breads, most of them dark ryes and one with lingonberries baked inside. There were different jams, made with different berries such as cloudberries. (more…)
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I arrived in Helsinki, the sun was shining and it was a pleasant day. I had a good flight but could not sleep. Aki picked me up and gave me a little tour of Helsinki and dropped me at the Hotel Haven so I could rest for an hour or so. The Hotel Haven is very nice with great views of the harbor and ferryboats. (more…)
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