Finnish

Swedish rule brought pulla, meatballs and the coffee habit; Russian rule brought pies, blini, sour cream and sweet-sour pickles. The grains that grew were rye and barley, and dark sour rye bread remains the national food. Karelian evacuees after 1944 spread their rice pies across the country. Cheap dairy after the war made cream soups and butter-brushed pastries normal. Everyman's right keeps berry and mushroom picking part of ordinary life.

Plain and honest. Salt, dill, allspice and white pepper are the seasonings; butter, milk and cream the fat. Rye is sour and dense. Fish is poached in cream or smoked over alder. Berries are tart rather than sweet, and pies are tray-baked with a soft base rather than pastry. Portions are substantial and the coffee is black and constant.