Have you eaten Lapp food?

On a recent visit to Helsinki we were delighted to find  Saaga, which serves traditional and modern delicacies from Lapland.

Lapland is an area of Finland and Sweden mostly within the Artic Circle. It refers to the land inhabited by the Sami people, known for their wonderful colourful clothing.

Entering the restaurant is like walking into a Lappish wooden house, with a room at the entrance to offload your winter coats (and skis if you were arriving that way)

The interior has the touch of Lappish artisans and a definite atmosphere of Lapland. We went to Finnish Lapland a couple of years ago and found it enchanting.

We were the first to arrive at the restaurant so I was able to have a good look around.

 I found all the details around the rooms fascinating.

 I would be fun to have a pair of those shoes.

I hate to think what happened to the rest of him.

 The food…

I love Finnish rye bread.

 The restaurant uses only pure Lappish or Finnish products where possible, sourced from small producers. The dishes include reindeer, Atlantic char, bear (we didn’t eat it), mushrooms and berries.  Everything is served on wooden platters, in kuska wooden mugs and cast iron pots.

 Our fish was grilled on a wooden board and assembled at the table. It was delicious.

I am a sucker for anything with cloudberries, so I ordered the Lappish cheese in cinamon cream with sugared cloudberries.

Cloudberries grow wild all over Finland. I would love to see them growing.