Finnish Lapland (Lappi) is a wonderland of natural beauties and resources. Being deep inside the Arctic Circle, polar phenomena such as northern lights are seen in this part of the country.

Lapland's cold and wintry climate has become associated with Christmas in some countries, being the Santa Claus home. But it is way more than a fairytale, but a pure and unique territory. Lapland relies heavily on natural resources: berries, potatoes, mushrooms, and game are part of what the land best provides to its inhabitants, and what is the food scene of the region.

And the traditional recipes of the region are as unique as the foods that are synonym of the arctic circle. Now, check our list of the top 10 most iconic recipes of Lapland:

- Poronkäristys: Reindeer meat, butter, salt, pepper, onions. Brown butter in a pan and add the sliced reindeer meat. Sautée the meat with onions, add seasoning, water, and let it simmer for 1 hour. Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry or cranberry sauce.

- Lohikeitto (photo): Salmon fillet, potatoes, milk, cream, bay leaf, allspice, salt, onion, dill, butter. Boil potatoes in salted water and add spices and onion. Add the pieces of salmon at the end of cooking, and the milk and cream. To finish, add butter and dill.

- Loimulohi: Finnish rainbow trout fillets, salt and water. Make a light open fire, mix water and salt. Put the fillets in a vertical pole facing the fire, and turn them 3-4 times during the broiling, using the salted water to season (or just coarse salt directly into the fish). 

- Leipäjuusto: Milk, cheese rennet, salt. Heat the milk to lukewarm temperature and add the rennet. Mix for 3 minutes. Let it rest from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Heat the mixture again slightly and cut it with a knife, making cross movements. Take the clotted cheese and put it through a strainer. Add salt and pour the cheese into a pan with baking paper in the bottom. Put the pan on top of the grill and let it fry slightly. Or put it in the oven to grate. Serve it with hilla jam (or cloudberry) and coffee.

- Ohrarieska: Barley flour, milk, egg, salt. Mix all ingredients into a bread dough. Divide into parts and form flat disks. Make holes before baking for 15 minutes. Serve the bread with butter. Note: some recipes also use sour milk or buttermilk.

- Poronluukeitt: Reindeer cuts with bones (pallet/kick), onions, carrots, parsnips, turnip, potatoes, juniper berries, allspice, leek, parsley, salt. Put the meat in a pan and cover with water. Do the first boil and take out the foam. Add carrot, onion, parsley, salt and spices. Let it simmer for 2-3 hours. Separate the meat from the bones and put the meat back in the broth, add parsnip, turnip and ​​leek, and cook until the vegetables are ready.

- Lapin mustikka-hillakiisseli: Blueberries, sugar, water, potato flour. Cook part of the blueberries with water and sugar. Mix the potato flour with water and add to the boiling jam to thicken it. To finalize, add the rest of the fruits, and serve with whipped cream.

- Kampanisut: Butter, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, egg, buttercream. Mix all ingredients into a dough, open with a rolling pin and cut stripes of 5 cm. Make 2 incisions on top of the biscuit, in the shape of a crown. Bake it for 10-15 minutes.

- Kampsut: Reindeer blood, baking soda, salt, rye flour. All ingredients are mixed into a dough and divided into portions. The pieces are rolled into balls and flatten. Cook in salted water one by one. Serve with onion sauce and cranberry purée.

- Puikulaperuna: Note - Lapland Puikula potatoes must be produced and packaged in Lapland. This luxurious mashed potato needs: Lapland potatoes, milk, butter, and salt. Cook and process the potatoes, add warm milk, butter, and salt. You can serve with truffle slices for extra special moments.

If you are a food and beverage producer, a farmer, or a local food enthusiast from Lapland, register now at Korjuu.com and be part of our map of #lähiruoka!

Photo: Johannes Rapprich from Pexels, Wikimedia Commons, Vincent Guth on Unsplash