Being vegetarian in Finland

[Caroline]

Also , if god wouldn't want us to eat animals, why did he made them out of meat then???

I have a theory that some people are designed to eat meat, others are not. I believe that I am one who was not designed to be an omnivore. Before I became a vegetarian, I used get terrible spells of nausea and sluggishness even after eating organic meat (so it wasn't a question of additives in the meat). As soon as I became a vegetarian, the problem stopped. Also, I never had any wisdom teeth, which, if I understand correctly, evolved into humans for the sake of consuming meat.

[simakun]

hey for what it's worth my (limited) experience of regular finns (ie all my in-laws) wholly supports caroline's general observations of the finnish diet (black bread+coffee+ham+cheese) and their general approach to food. fortunately i don't actually know enuff non-vegetarian locals to be subject to any form of harrassment about my lifestyle or philosophy. it's always best not to eat meat for many reasons; ethical, spiritual, environmental, health etc...but reasons to eat meat are few and far between.

[Hank W.]

I did mean that it is hard to get Finns (especially where I live) interested in trying new or more diverse meals. Most people I know are terrified of beans (which have recently been declared one of the healthiest foods), they gag when they taste fresh spinach, etc, and they consider the afore mentioned meal (porridge, black bread) to be an abundance. I do not see how that could be understood that I was being mean.

I think people need to be really living in surroundings with people who think that anything more than 3 whole peppers in a 10 liter cauldron is "too spicy" and if there is not 1/2 kilo of butter and 1/2 kilo of salt in it its "tasteless" before they can understand the concept. I've been and I can relate exactly with that - I don't even find it too peculiar. The Finnish government has been trying to pound dietary health education into the (numb)skulls since the 1970's...

As a Finn and as a Helsinki-born native, we weren't quite so bad, but my and my friends' cooking is totally different from what we say is the "lande" cooking you describe ....butter-fried lard...

[Hank W.]

it is not a taste experience, or a celebration of life like it is in other cultures.

That is because you have to pay the bill afterwards.

[deojuvame]

Well, in any case it sounds better than Ukranian Salo



Yumyum chocolate covered lard!

[pierrot]

Mai, people brutally criticize Americans, it has happened once on this thread, but I don't see you stepping in to be diplomatic for us. Is Finland the only perfect place in the world that does not need any improvements or suggestions?

I guess you are talking about my post.
As you may have (or rather have not as it seems) realised i talked about GENERALISATIONS.
Dont make comments about groups like "the average finn" unless you have serious data to prove that point. If its only backed up by your own experience in your surroundings, you should make that clear in your comments and not claim that the majority (=the average) is like that.
Like we have a lot of different americans here on this board (politically seen - left and right - as well as characterwise - some tough, others whining ), you wont find an "average american" here.
Hence my comments.

[deojuvame]

There are more vegetarian options in southern Finland, but I have eaten many a meal in Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere, and I am still of the opinion that there is a general lack of variety everywhere.

Well, it seems like there's a dissonance of expectations here. I've seen a lot of good vegetarian options in restaraunts here in Finland, and by that I mean more than two or three entree options that include no meat or fish. What exactly do you mean by a lack of variety? Is there a particular kind of dish you're on the lookout for when you eat out in the larger cities?

Another point that I meant by my comment, is that in Finnish culture a meal is just nourishment, made to fill you up...it is not a taste experience, or a celebration of life like it is in other cultures.

I think you're shortchanging Finnish food and overgeneralizing to a ludicrous degree when you say that it's not a "a taste experience, or a celebration of life like it is in other cultures." Why don't you just come out and say that all finnish food is terrible and all foreign food is manna while you're at it? All cultures are capable of turning out sublime delicacies (practically anything with mushrooms in Finland) and crap (mämmi).

This rock-hurling about gross generalizations and stereotypes is getting nobody anywhere and is certainly not conducive to any type of fruitful discussion. People, get it together and have something interesting to say or don't waste everyone's time.

Oh, and speaking of fruits, the strawberries and cherries in the summertime are fabulous

[Mai]

Another point that I meant by my comment, is that in Finnish culture a meal is just nourishment, made to fill you up...it is not a taste experience, or a celebration of life like it is in other cultures.

If you spread comments like this around, i am not surpriced if your in-laws start to pick you about vegetarian thing. If you would speak of their diet less arrogantly, i am sure they would take your diet slightly nicer too. I mean, they must still be humans right?

[Samppa]

My husband is an omnivore and he cooks his own meals. (did I say cooks? I meant, "unthaws")

You must be a really happy family...

[Majava]

Why don't you just come out and say that all finnish food is terrible and all foreign food is manna while you're at it?

OK. All finnish food is terrible and all foreign food is manna. No problem (only to you perhaps)

This rock-hurling about gross generalizations and stereotypes is getting nobody anywhere and is certainly not conducive to any type of fruitful discussion. People, get it together and have something interesting to say or don't waste everyone's time.

I'm sorry but this thread was about (finding) stuff to eat for vegetarians. The first 2 1/2 pages was a normal discussion, until Gavin and Mai's posts start to make it pointless. (this is not a thread about wether it's good or not to be a vegetarian) The people who say that you and you are generalizing do not come with the "evidence" that shows they are incorrect. But like always here, Uusimaa is the index that all is being measured against, plus that the Fin-defender is always correct, because they are so noble... And I'd almost forget that making generalizations (even if one's aware of it) is fast becoming the new taboo on this board.

[deojuvame]

[And I'd almost forget that making generalizations (even if one's aware of it) is fast becoming the new taboo on this board.

Making grand generalizations strikes me not so much taboo as stupid and unproductive.

But hey, it's a freeish country.

[Mook]

I've always liked the following part of the macrobiotic diet

"Persons living in a temperate zone should consume vegetables and fruits grown in a similar climate or, preferably, the same region. Non-indigenous foods such as bananas, pineapple, and even potatoes and tomatoes (originating from the southern hemisphere) are not recommended for frequent use."

When in Rome...

And anyhow, how hard can it be to make "boring" food more tasty? Put honey on your porridge, tabasco on the bland stuff. (salt and pepper usually help too)

When I'm ill I always have pea soup with garam masala (curry powder) or maybe chilli.

(and ready-made meals tend to be crap anyway, unless they're the green thai curry from Stockmann )

[happeningfish]

I am a person who very strongly believes that you should not eat anything that you are not prepared to kill yourself.
I have killed many animals which I have eaten myself, but now, thankfully my better half does it for me.
We are carnivores, we are designed to eat meat, and I like to eat it.
Mari Kills, we eat. Deal with it.
mmmm. tasty.

You know Gavin, I have no problem with that either, and Mari looks pretty damn skilled at her work! I also agree that you should not eat anything you are not prepared to kill yourself. But I also refuse to eat anything when I don't know the conditions under which it was killed, and I don't buy supermarket meat because I don't like the idea that I've hired an invisible person to do the dirty work for me. It's not like I haven't touched any meat for 12 years -- on special occasions (like when a friend made caribou stew back in Canada, or trying Welsh lamb) I indulge, and it does taste good!

What I do find a little irritating is the type of pro-meat behaviour that thinks waving their food in my face while saying "hey! check this out, it's a ham sandwich! mmmm! yummy! it's dead flesh!" is funny. Because it's a wee bit retarded, really. You eat meat -- fine! Did I criticize your choice here? Why come into a vegetarian discussion just to tell us how stupid we are?

Although finally I had a good chance for rebuttal on that kind of thing -- one of my best friends in Helsinki, who happens to be gay, pulled the Funny Ham Sandwich Waved in Front of Vegetarian gag, and I said, "Jeez, man. That is just like me coming over to your house and making you watch me have hetero sex."

He understood better than any other carnivore I've met.

[Hank W.]

This reminds me of those ads with that hippie in disguise...

[Mook]

"hey! check this out, it's a ham sandwich! mmmm! yummy!

Sure you can resist ham, but what if it had been bacon?