Eating Reindeer in Finland
Spending a winter in Finland was super special to me because I am more than ½ Finnish by DNA. Sadly, my grandfather never taught my father the Finnish language, so of course I didn't learn either. But I felt like by going there, I was able to “go back to my roots” and understand my culture and heritage better. I love a good sauna just like most Finns and I am no stranger to the cold because I grew up in Northern Michigan. We happened to be in Finland during the coldest winter in over 30 years and there was a lot of snow too. What shocked us most about winter in Northern Finland was the short amount of daylight. The sun would rise around 10 am and set around 3pm. Imagine the people that worked 9-5 jobs. They went to work and came home in the dark. I wore 2 jackets in Finland because it was so freezing. We were shocked to see the night clubs open and girls in their mini-skirts and high heels. I don't know how they could ever get used to it. One day, we got invited over to a friend's house for a traditional Finnish meal which consisted of reindeer and wild blueberries in a sauce. I was a little sad to think that I had actually eaten reindeer, but when in Finland, do as the Finns do. So I remember taking a small portion to not offend the host. I've never been a big fan of meat, and this was no different. I didn't love it, it was quite chewy, but at least it was edible. If you're in Finland and you get the chance to eat it, just go for it. I also had the opportunity to eat blood sausage, which my husband did try, but I just couldn't. Just the name alone was enough to have me running in the opposite direction. Finn's eat hearty meals, I think to SURVIVE the cold, long winters.
Keywords
Heritage cultural traditions and history.
Hearty a hearty meal is a meal with a lot of substance.
