Which supermarkets best for organic?

sazzie · Post by **sazzie** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:28 am

would appreciate advice on where to go for organic food in helsinki. How is organic food labeled? Whats are common finnish words i need to know for organic food shopping?

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Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:07 am

I don't know abou places to find luomu food in Helsinki, but basically you need to find one word: "luomu". See: http://www.finfood.fi/finfood/luomu.nsf ... od%20Luomu

inkku · Post by **inkku** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:42 am

Luomu or luonnonmukainen (yess, a stupid term)

you can find luomu products in supermarkets, more variety in bigger ones in cities. Fresh vegetables are usually on their own shelves, but other products are just in the middle of normal products (eg eggs, cereals, bread). I believe most of the brands are the same common brands.

Special shops here and there, like Ruohonjuuri near hotel Presidentti (called ekokauppa "eco-shop"), it is a nice shop
http://www.bosoy.fi/ruohonjuuri/index.html

OTHERS:

EKOLO
HELSINKI Porthaninkatu 6, (09) 321 5535, helsinki (a) ekolo.net, ma-pe 10-19 ja la 10-16
http://www.ekolo.net/show.php?page=ajankohtaista

EDENIN PUUTARHA
Uudenmaankatu 33 FI-00120 Helsinki

More here:
http://www.happycow.net/disp_results_ad ... &image2=Go

Check Stadin luomu for products straight from local producers
http://www.stadinluomu.net/

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:45 am

There is a place in Kamppi, just next to the shopping center (close to bar Ikkuna). It is a store that only sells organic stuff. I love going there and browsing through the stuff they have.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:10 pm

In Kaisaniemi metro station (IIRC out towards Unioninkatu??? / university buildings and Senatintori) there is a K or S market (don't remember which) which has a really good selection of organic products. It's half hidden so you have to know where it is. If I remember correctly, come up the escalator from the metro walk straight ahead and it is sort of on the left behind some other shops????
Then K market Seilori in Lippulaiva, Espoonlahti, Espoo has a good selection too. But nearly all Citymarkets and Prismas in Helsinki/Espoo carry organic versions of the staples.

sazzie · Post by **sazzie** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:31 pm

thanks everyone---very helpful

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:49 am

interleukin wrote:There is a place in Kamppi, just next to the shopping center (close to bar Ikkuna). It is a store that only sells organic stuff. I love going there and browsing through the stuff they have.

I think the store you mean is "Ruohonjuuri": http://www.bosoy.fi/ruohonjuuri/index.html

sazzie · Post by **sazzie** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:37 pm

I went to Ekola but I'm looking for more than a vegetarian shop ----where can I find an organic butcher ? I found organic beef and eggs at city market but are there dedicated organic farms like the UK?

carolinemaher · Post by **carolinemaher** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:27 pm

Apart from the Ruohonjuuri shop I find there is a distinct lack of organic anything in Helsinki. Of course there are the basic staples in the supermarkets, but you won't find the range of things that you may find for example in the UK or Germany where there are huge shops dedicated to organic produce all over the place. As far as I know there is no organic butchers, I've only seen organic beef in supermarkets - no pork, lamb or chicken - In Hakaniemi market you'll find a bit of of free range chicken from time to time (or Stockmann sells tiny French organic chickens for about EUR 40!!!) Please do post if you have better luck in finding things.

Rosetta · Post by **Rosetta** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 1:45 pm

carolinemaher wrote:Apart from the Ruohonjuuri shop I find there is a distinct lack of organic anything in Helsinki. Of course there are the basic staples in the supermarkets, but you won't find the range of things that you may find for example in the UK or Germany where there are huge shops dedicated to organic produce all over the place.

That might be because food in Finland in general is probably already more natural and "pure" than in the above mentioned countries...

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:56 pm

...and a lot of people grow, hunt, pick, swap their own which is organic (eg: fruit and vegetables, berries, mushrooms, game) and the other staples like eggs, milk and flour are available from any supermarket.
Why the hell buy organic beef when the quota for elk is around 80 000 (sometimes more) and roe deer are not even subject to quota? But yes, I agree that it would be nice to find some corn fed chickens (which, BTW are always smaller than the battery variety and expensive even in France/UK etc). I get organic pork from a farm near Tammisaari where they raise organic beef. I think I already posted the link somewhere. Stockmann will get you anything you want if you order it and Chef Wotkins factory outlet in Sörnainen (near Heino) has a good choice too. The climate in Finland severely limits the choice.... free range is difficult when it's -30 outside and the snow is thick on the ground

Yes there are dedicated organic farms but you won't find one-stop shopping out in the countryside, so be prepared to leave a large carbon footprint driving around.... I don't know of any organic farms that do mail order but to be honest I have never looked.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:03 pm

penelope wrote:...and a lot of people grow, hunt, pick, swap their own which is organic (eg: fruit and vegetables, berries, mushrooms, game) and the other staples like eggs, milk and flour are available from any supermarket.
Why the hell buy organic beef when the quota for elk is around 80 000 (sometimes more) and roe deer are not even subject to quota? But yes, I agree that it would be nice to find some corn fed chickens (which, BTW are always smaller than the battery variety and expensive even in France/UK etc). I get organic pork from a farm near Tammisaari where they raise organic beef. I think I already posted the link somewhere. Stockmann will get you anything you want if you order it and Chef Wotkins factory outlet in Sörnainen (near Heino) has a good choice too. The climate in Finland severely limits the choice.... free range is difficult when it's -30 outside and the snow is thick on the ground

Yes there are dedicated organic farms but you won't find one-stop shopping out in the countryside, so be prepared to leave a large carbon footprint driving around.... I don't know of any organic farms that do mail order but to be honest I have never looked.

But not all of them are hunters or know some..

I agree with your one-stop shoppin for organic food..it aint easy as mostly most of em are already organic compared to other countries' standards..

carolinemaher · Post by **carolinemaher** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:54 am

I'd always be prepared to pay more for a corn fed chicken than a battery chicken and its really not that much difference in price in the UK these days, just a couple of Euros. I'm sure there are plenty of Finns who go hunting/picking/growing their own food but I don't see any of my neighbours doing it, they are coming home with their Alepa and K Market bags at the end of the day like most people living in town. Allotments in our area cost about EUR 30,000 so growing your own food while living in an apartment in Helsinki at least is a bit of a luxury if you are a city dweller. As a mother of a small child I honestly don't have the time to go hunting for elk! I know free range is harder because of the climate but the question was where to find an organic butcher and my answer was that there isn't one - no one-stop organic shopping here like in other countries in Europe, Finland is has a lot of catching up to do in the organic field, I suppose its because its just that bit further away than say UK, Germany, France/wherever where things are produced and therefore more costly to import?

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:59 am

I think im "different", im so fed up with this "organic" or "luomu" that i choose power fed meat, unhappy chickens eggs, non fair bananas, non healthy grease and such

Luomu cant feed current population.

Kupcake · Post by **Kupcake** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:12 am

I have to say that the unavailability of an organic butcher has been a struggle for me too. We've resorted to eating more wild salmon and vegetarian dishes since we moved here, but if there were some enterprising person who would start an organic butcher shop, i'd happily pay the extra.

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