While Scandinavian countries have some common dishes, each may have its own twist on the dish, such as Finnish meatballs (Lihapullat), prepared differently than their Swedish cousins’. There’s certainly a variety of rye flours and breads prepared in different forms. Karjalanpiirakka is a popular pastry with rye crust filled with rice porridge topped with egg butter. Kalakukko Is fish pie prepared with rye flour and filled with fish, pork and bacon. Blodpalt are dumplings prepared with rye flour and animal’s blood. Beyond rye, there’s poronkaristys (sauteed reindeer), Merimiespata, a hearty stew with beef, potatoes, onions, and beer, and Rössypottu, a stew of potatoes (pottu), pork, bacon, onions and blood sausage (rössy). Mustikkapiirakka is a yogurt and blueberry pie, and helmipuuro is a traditional Finnish dish prepared with dehydrated potato granules and referred to as pearl porridge.  Salmiakki is salty licorice that is very popular.

Year of the Hare (A. Paasilinna), The Core of the Sun (J. Sinisalo), The Kalevala (complied by E. Lonnrot), My First Murder (L. Lehtolasinen), As White As Snow (S. Simukka).