Are these food items available in Finland?

dzammes · Post by **dzammes** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:06 am

I'll be moving to Finland for a long period of time and I'll be cooking my meals all the time.
Would I be able to find the following food items? if yes, where? I ask because I've been in several countries where I haven't been able to find some or any of the following:

-Coconut oil
-Flax seeds
-Whole oats
-Quinoa (red or white)
-Sweet potato
-Liquid egg whites (in a carton)
-Organic peanuts (unsalted)
-Almond milk
-Cottage cheese
-Greek yogurt
-Turkey breast, pork tenderloin, lean ground beef

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Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:21 am

Yes, all of them are available in Finland. They all can be found in regular big stores like K-Citymarket. The only tricky one is probably Coconut oil. I don't remember seeing it in K-Citymarket, but I'm 100% sure I've seen it in many other stores.

tummansininen wrote:except whole oats and liquid egg whites.

I've actually seen it in K-Citymarket in Kamppi. The brand is Two Chicks.

riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:42 am

you should watch the prices of some of the things though since supermarkets often have a shelf with amazingly expensive imported items. I've seen things like Cherry Coke at crazy prices (it's not normally sold here and they are special imports).

We can soon get around to discussing things like self-raising flour which are not sold here, on the principle that you mix up your own flour + baking agent instead of buying it pre-mixed.

Some of the items in finland can be different to elsewhere though, even though on the face of it they are the "same" product. Cottage cheese in Finland is quite different to the cottage cheese i've seen in england (where it's more soft and liquid in nature than the pellets which pass for cottage cheese here).

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 2:25 pm

Yes, liquid egg whites can be found in Prisma too, in Tetrapak cartons. Sometimes you have to look hard because they are hidden away on the top shelf with all the other less normcore stuff.

Coconut oil is available

and you can also get it in silver-wrapped packs (like butter) in every supermarket.

Guenon · Post by **Guenon** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 2:31 pm

As other mentioned already, all the things could be found in K-Citymarket or even Prisma (if that is more feasable). The cheapest cocunut oil I have found is in the oriental shops like Mughal, Maharaja etc located in Hakaniemi (Helsinki).

masao · Post by **masao** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 2:55 pm

Well, I have not seen sweet potatoes sold in a super markets here at alḷ.
All they do have are lousy bataattis. So when I cook tempura, I go to an Asian shop on Hämeentie, Helsinki to buy some sweet potatoes.
Greek yoghut are sold at least at Lidl.

t, masao

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:01 pm

Yes, of all those ingredients I guess sweet potatoes are the hardest to find.

I sell butternut squash, uchiki kuri (Japanese squash / potimarron) and other winter squash, but not sweet potatoes. I think the nutritional value is similar though.

Keravalainen · Post by **Keravalainen** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 4:49 pm

Hi!
Could you Masao explain what in your opinion is the difference between sweet potatoes and "those lousy bataattis"?
The Finnish translation of English sweet potato is according to all available sources really bataatti.

See: BATAATTI / MAKEAPERUNA / SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas)
http://www.kasvikset.fi/Suomeksi/Asiakk ... a/Bataatti_

masao · Post by **masao** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:18 pm

Here you are.
My dictionary says sweet potato is satsumaimo and vice versa.
They are whitish inside and sweet in taste.
On the other hand I have only seen bataattis in Finland which are reddish inside and I won't put them into my mouth even if
my life depends on the lousy thing.

To each his own.

Cheers, masao

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:53 pm

"The edible tuberous root is long and tapered, with a smooth skin whose color ranges between yellow, orange, red, brown, purple, and beige. Its flesh ranges from beige through white, red, pink, violet, yellow, orange, and purple. Sweet potato varieties with white or pale yellow flesh are less sweet and moist than those with red, pink or orange flesh."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato vs. https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataatti

dzammes · Post by **dzammes** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:20 pm

tummansininen wrote: I did laugh at you asking whether we have lean ground beef though I must admit.

Haha well yea I know it was quite ridiculous. Just wanted to make sure because I've heard that in Finland butcher shops are unusual or nonexistent. I can't imagine my life without chicken, beef or pork.

masao wrote: I won't put them into my mouth even if my life depends on the lousy thing.
To each his own.

but sweet potatoes are delicious

You just need to know how to cook them.

Thanks to everyone who answered. I'll now know where to look.

dzammes · Post by **dzammes** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 3:42 am

tummansininen wrote:
dzammes wrote:
tummansininen wrote: I did laugh at you asking whether we have lean ground beef though I must admit.
Haha well yea I know it was quite ridiculous. Just wanted to make sure because I've heard that in Finland butcher shops are unusual or nonexistent. I can't imagine my life without chicken, beef or pork.
The butchers didn't disappear, they've just become less common because supermarkets provide most of that service.

I was in Finland a couple of years ago and I only remember those pathetic little containers with 500g chicken breast. I usually buy my meat in bulk but I guess I'll have to modify my ways now.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:29 am

Many big supermarkets have an in-store butcher where I'm sure you can order meat in bulk. There are also markets such as Reinin Liha in Hakaniemi market hall or Chef Wotkins factory shop in Sörnäinen where you can order. I doubt if you will save any money that way though, if anything, it will be more expensive.

Finnish 'broileri' is completely tasteless and mass produced indoors. But if you just want to consume cheap protein in bulk, then that's one way of achieving it.

harryc · Post by **harryc** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:56 am

"The butchers didn't disappear, they've just become less common because supermarkets provide most of that service."

What service?????? If you ask for anything different they tell you that they get certain PARTS delivered - already pre-butchered so any customized possibilities pretty much restricted.

Yes - you can 'order' things from Reini and Wotkins - but who wants to keep running back and forth to collect 'orders?' And if you are buying from Reini, make sure that you visit your supposed bank manager first - that is, if you can find any bank that actually talks to people.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:42 pm

This conversation about butchers sounds very odd to me.
Ever since I moved to Helsinki, I always go to Roslund to get the exact meat that I want in the exact cut that I want. The metro ride there is worth it! A few times I went to Hakaniemen Kauppahalli, and the butchers there were always helpful and they gave me what I was looking for.

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