finnish food- rich or bland?

[Hank W.]

Nowadays though you do find more spices and herbs available in the supermarkets than before

There was a "herb revival" of sorts. And theres the ethnic stores that you can get almost anything. However the art of using the spices has been lost.

Sometimes I do wonder though that when some people talk about spicy food they mean just throwing in loads and loads of chilli

Well, it is art painting vs. fence painting...

Also I notice that when people make chicken here 9/10 times they'll use curry to 'spice' it up.

I think curry powder has been around since long as a "basic", (These days you have dozens of mixes, before - just the one) You sort of get the connection in school... acquired taste again.

[khu]

. I guess I hadn't realized that chili peppers were unnatural spices...from outer space, presumably?

You go frolicking in the chili bushes growing wild in Finland and Japan a lot?

Yeah, right alongside the wild Finnish cucumbers and wild cow herds of Lapland, and across from the wild tea fields and wild black pepper plants of Kuopio.

Give me a break, that was lame at best; almost all foods humans eat are cultivated then introduced more widely. And neither potatoes nor corn nor tomatoes 'grow wild'. A chili pepper is no more 'unnatural' than black pepper (native to India), which I notice Finns use widely just like all other Europeans.

[Hank W.]

Well, it is still "unnatural" to use chilli as they do in say Portugal for pri-pri (love the stuff). I think it is the "acquired taste" thing. For example south of the border in Estonia, firstly they still sprinkle salt on the cucumber and tomatoes, use smetana and salt, and their mustard makes your socks twirl. The guys loved a tube of harissa - Finns would have run out screaming - sa they do with Estonian mustard (as probably would the Japanese) whilst Koreans would have been... mmmm... I'll put some on my kimchi. (I make my own kimchi BTW, but no use trying to offer it to some people)

[Shazzer]

Have you noticed though that the way Finnish food is cooked and prepared is very precise, neat and also very proper. Case in point, compare a cook show in Finland to say, Iron Chef where food preparation is done with such gusto, sweat, swirls and at such a frantic pace!!!

Could it then be said that the local food culture is a reflection of the natives to that country. So a quiet nation equals mild and bland food? I do miss the pots banging and the wok crashing and foods sizzling in the kitchen back home when a meal is being prepared!! A very comforting sound in every household!!

Everything is done so quietly here... even cooking!

Also, I think the architecture of Finnish homes do not allow for much "aromatic" culinary delights to be dished out since the lingering smells of cooking tends to stay indoors for a bit.

[Hank W.]

Fried herring or cabbage soup enough "aromatic" ?

[Richard]

Fried herring or cabbage soup enough "aromatic" ?

certainly after consumption

[RA]

Onion soup seems to go in that category as well. Hyi