Fine-Land

Karelia in Finland is famous for nature. And the great outdoors. The gloriously remote region is known for fermenting, drying, salting and stewing, and the Karelian meat stew, – a mixture of beef, pork, and lamb seasoned with peppercorn and allspice – is the national dish of Finland. Will it be making an appearance at the grand finals of the European Street Food Awards in Munich October 7-9?

You bet! Kusmiku from Heinola won the 2022 Finnish Street Food Awards with their take on the ancient Karelian dish – uunipaisti. In recent years, the world’s new food heroes have turned the streets into a laboratory for hot new food ideas proving that good food doesn’t always come with silverware and napery. But Kusmiku are happy to prove that that doesn’t mean abandoning good things from our past. Far from it.

“We made a new version of uunipaisti,” says Miku from Kusmiku. “Traditional Karelian stew includes slow-cooked meat pork and beef and root vegetables – we do it street food style! That means slow-cooked pork neck, pickled carrots, sour cream-yogurt, lingonberries and parsley, served on traditional Finnish potato flatbread instead of boiled potatoes. It looks like tacos, tastes like Finland. Pure and simple.”

It will certainly be on the menu in Munich. After a stunning weekend in Lahti, hosted by Food Camp Finland and Food Mutiny, the stew was enough to win Kusmiku a spot at the finals – plus a mantlepiece full of other trophies, including:

• Press favourite (Hämeen Media/Radio Voima)

• Authentic street food (Vaasan Oy)

• The most special dish (Hartwall)

• Most innovative product (Restel/Food&Events Event restaurants)

“It’s amazing” says Miku, the boss at Kusmiku. “It makes me humble – and speechless. When we were called on stage as winners, I couldn’t say anything. It’s an indescribable feeling…the Finnish street food scene took a hit from Corona, but now it’s perhaps more united than ever. In a couple of weeks in Munich, we will proudly represent our entire industry. And hey. From Heinola, you can work on anything! Check us out!!!”