My campaign of immersing myself in the culture of other nations continued at the weekend with a visit to an early Christmas Fair at the Finnish Church of London (or, Lontoon Suomalainen Kirkko, to call it by its awesome Finnish name). There was no hiding the fact that this was a money-making scheme. You could tell by browsing the large supermarket they had set up in the church itself. A medium jar of Cloudberry jam cost £9.50! I’ll let them off though as it was an enjoyable excursion (plus I imagine it costs a fair bit to import everything) and my first opportunity to experience anything relating to Finland.

After balking at the high prices of all the goodies (Moomin-shaped biscuits, rye crackers, dark chocolate, liquorice etc.) I heading for an adjoining tent where food was being served. I passed at the £6.50 sautéed reindeer (I wanted to try it but I couldn’t quite justify the price) and enjoyed a dollop of silky smooth mash with a fat scandinavian-style sausage and rye bread. To wash it down, a cup of Glögi (mulled wine) with a “glog” of vodka.

Upstairs were craft stalls and a cafe where I had to try one of Finland’s traditional Karelian Pies; a rice-filled soft rye crust with chopped egg on top. I enjoyed it for its cultural significance, not for its taste which was barely detectable.

Before leaving, I stopped by a stall giving out free samples of Finnish Pâtés on rye bread (no surprises there). I could have gone for salmon or elk, but I decided upon trying bear. The issue of whether bear meat is ethically and sustainably farmed aside, bear has a predictably strong meaty flavour that is otherwise difficult to describe. It wasn’t horrible by any stretch but I won’t be rushing to Helsinki to buy more of it.

• Tags
• london
• unitedkingdom
• christmas
• finland