Arctic Edibles *Video*
When you think of the Arctic Circle you mainly think of snow and ice and Santa. Well, that is the Arctic Circle 8 months out of the year. But in the summer months, the Arctic Circle is surprising lush and green. Here’s a few of the delectables that Laplanders like to eat:
Reindeer Meat
Reindeer are seriously everywhere in Finland, but mostly on the highways – which makes driving tricky. The reindeer venture into the roads where there’s a bit of a breeze to escape the mammoth-sized mosquitoes.
Reindeer also regularly appear on menus. The gamey meat is sautéed and traditionally served over mashed potatoes, usually along with a loganberry sauce. I tried it one night and my helping was pretty tasty!
Cloudberries
Finns get a little crazy about cloudberries. And I could see why. The berries are delicious and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants.
During the late summer months, they go into the humid wetlands to pick the golden berries. Most are looking to bring home kilo-loads for their own enjoyment, but some are out to make a little money. Cloudberries can fetch up to 15 euro / kilo.
With this type of frenzy, the best spots for picking are closely guarded secrets – not to be shared even with close friends. Here I am during one of our gathering expeditions, searching for the elusive berry:
Can’t see the video? Click on this link: Cloudberry Picking
Blueberry Soup
Blueberry soup may not sound so good, but it is! We had it with us when hiking and mixed it in with our porridge in the morning. I saw other hikers drinking the hot bubbly soup from thermoses in the afternoon break.
As a super food, blueberries are hard to beat in terms of health qualities and I’m a huge fan. But until I went camping in Lapland, I hadn’t really thought of using them in a soup. Here’re two recipes for you to try:
Tags: blueberry soup, Finland, Lapland, reindeer
This entry was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2012 and is filed under Food & Drink.
The artic sun postcard was so lovely – thank you my friend!