Finland

Located as far north as South Greenland, Alaska and Northern Siberia, Finland offers a modern cuisine that blends high-quality produce with continental cooking techniques. Graduating from a reputation of mediocre, bland food to a destination to try Michelin-starred restaurants, Helsinki’s Chez Dominique won a coveted two Michelin stars in 2003.

In Finland, you’ll find food that is simple and fresh with eastern and western influences. Options range from traditional country fare to haute cuisine with fish and meat playing prominent roles in the western part of the country and vegetables and mushrooms taking center stage in the east. A land with thousands of lakes means a variety of delicious fish is available, as well as game meats like reindeer, moose, sausage and black pudding. You’ll find the Nordic tradition of lingonberry or cranberry sauce served with meats. If you’re lucky, the exclusive but not uncommon cloudberry jam will be served.

For dessert, blueberry soup and blueberry pie are traditional finds. Maybe it’s the cold and long winters, but Finland wins the title of number one consumer of coffee per capita in the world.—Denise Shoukas

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