Finland and Estonia!

I'm definitely cheating on this one but for good reasons! One - I haven't been able to find any Finnish or Estonian restaurants. Two - I've actually been to both Finland and Estonia and took plenty of pics of the food I ate there! 

In 2021, I found a $280 (!!!) roundtrip flight to Helsinki over Thanksgiving weekend so I booked it before I could think about what late November in Finland actually meant. A couple friends ended up joining me and we had a few fun days exploring Helsinki and taking a wild ferry ride to Talinn, Estonia for a day. 

Late November in Finland is COLD. But thankfully there are more saunas than people in Finland, so we were able to warm up at the public Allas Sea Pool and Sauna. There is really nothing better than sweating it out in a wood-fired sauna and then jumping into a heated sea water pool overlooking the Baltic Sea. The Finns know what's up! 

We were there right at the start of the Christmas markets as well so I was able to sample some foods from the stalls set up in the middle of the city. The blinis were a work of art! Whitefish roe, reindeer pastrami, and Artic shrimp were the three I chose. 

Finland is also well-known for their salmon dishes. I was on the hunt for salmon soup (lohikeitto) before we left but settled for this salmon salad on brown bread from a fish market at a food hall. I remember it being VERY good.

I knew nothing about Estonia (and still really don't!) but there was a cheap ferry that took you to Talinn from Helsinki so I decided to add another country onto the long weekend. The ferry was essentially a small cruise ship complete with an ABBA cover band and lots of vodka. Once we got to Estonia, we walked through the very Soviet-era port into the Old Town which was magical. I drank lots of hot mulled wine to keep my hands warm.

And also went into III Drakon (Third Dragon) which is a tourist destination for sure but quite the experience nonetheless. A medieval tavern on the town square where it's lit by candles, everything is served in clay pots or wooden plates, and no silverware is provided. This is like a legit Medieval Times! 

I think I'm eating an ox rib? Maybe wild boar? I definitely know I washed it down with a giant clay mug of beer. 

I can't find photos but I know I drug my tired friends to one more place to eat pancakes at Kompressor. 29 different varieties with both sweet and savory options!

Looking back, it was a little crazy to go to Finland and Estonia Wednesday evening - Sunday (I didn't even miss any work!) but when you see a $280 ticket to a place you will probably never go to otherwise, ALWAYS BUY THE PLANE TICKET.


There is a Finnish Heritage Center in Fairport Harbor that is worth a visit. They are open on Saturdays from 10-3 and offers a small museum and shop. If you're lucky, they'll slice off a piece of bread for you to sample! (This is what was offered to me when I asked about Finnish food in the area!) The Heritage Center also manages the Cultural Garden - The Finnish Cultural Garden features a granite monument with a quote by author of prose and lyrics Aleksis Kivi. Busts of the renowned Jean Sibelius, composer of “Finlandia;” Elias Lonnrot, doctor and author of the epic poem, “Kalevala,” Johan Vilhelm Snellman, statesman; and Johan Ludvig Runeberg, national poet and author of the Finnish national anthem, “Maame” also adorn the Finnish Garden.

From the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Immigrants from Finland settled in Cleveland as early as 1885. By the 1930s approximately 3,000 people of Finnish descent lived in Cleveland. Most Finns came to America from rural areas for economic reasons, while compulsory military service in the Russian Army also prompted many to emigrate. Large Finnish communities were established in Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Cleveland, where manual labor was needed. One of the first socialist clubs in Cleveland was founded by Finns in 1904. Its impact on local politics was minimal because of language barriers and Finns' tendency to keep to themselves. However, the socialist group increased the political clout of Finns generally by urging every Finn to become a U.S. citizen.

The Estonian Cultural Garden was designed by Oberlin graduate and prominent architect Herk Visnapuu. The Estonian Garden features an abstract sculpture, an inscribed flame, at its center. Some considered the unveiling of the flame in 1996 a bold move by Cleveland’s Estonian’s community, because it represented freedom. At the time, Estonia was still a part of the former Soviet Union. It is difficult to trace Estonian immigrants to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, because prior to 1918 they carried Russian passports and were entered on immigration records as Russians. Evidence suggests that the first Estonian settler, Geo. Tammik, arrived in Cleveland in 1903. About 35 more people were recorded as Estonian immigrants by 1945 with about 200 more arriving following World War II.


36 down, 16 to go!