| Arctic Flavours at Kuusamo Lapland |
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Discover the fresh aromas of Finnish Lapland! The demanding arctic climate of the north makes the produce of waters and forests grow tasty and intense in flavour. These flavours you will find on your plate, prepared and arranged in the style of true Scandinavian simplicity which brings out the real character of each ingredient. On this five-day culinary break you will sit down to several gourmet meals prepared from the best local ingredients in season. The programme takes you to spend a day cooking with Chef and Ceramist Jarmo Pitkänen whose take on fine dining is a combination of the culinary and the artistic, and visit a fishing village to see how the freshest of catch is brought to your plate. Destination and AirportAirport: Kuusamo (KAO) The Kuusamo area is a famous holiday destination in Finland. The area is specially known for its wonderful rugged wilderness, which can be explored and enjoyed at all times of the year. In the tranquillity of untouched nature, the vast forests and extensive lake areas make a rich breeding ground of forest berries, wild mushrooms and many species of game and freshwater fish which the locals have always used as the basis of their diet.
ItineraryDay One Welcome to Kuusamo Lapland Finnish and Lappish FoodToday's Northern Finnish and Lappish food is still founded on the diverse, high-quality local foodstuffs. Our delicacies include vendace, whitefish and Arctic char; roe, wild rabbit and snow grouse; cheese, wild mushrooms, wild herbs, and forest berries: there is something for everybody and all of them fresh and clean, grown far from the crowded traffic of the cities.
In Finland you have a right of public access that makes it possible for you to stroll into the near-by forest and pick berries or wild mushrooms as much as you like. There’s a wide variety to choose from: wild blueberries and raspberries, lingonberries, cranberries, crowberries, and the greatest delicacy of all, the cloudberry, referred to by the locals as “the marsh gold.” This right applies to everybody, local or visitor. However, for fishing and hunting you need to purchase a licence. Fishing for sport and also as a profession is well-established in northern Finland. The great lakes and rivers of Kuusamo supply the community with vendace, whitefish and lake trout. These end up on the plates of gourmet restaurants as well as on the dinner tables of the locals both fresh and processed into many different tinned, smoked or raw-pickled products. Locally manufactured meat products include cold smoked beef and reindeer, tinned venison and bear, reindeer kebab, and even wild boar. Other unique delicacies of this area are spruce-tip products such as syrup and vinegar, and jams and marmalades made of real berry juice.
Seasonal change gives the edge into the Finnish national character. Near the Arctic Circle our summers are warm and our winters are cold. The dominating feature is the changing colour of the surrounding nature. In summer everything is green, autumn blazes in reds and oranges, and in winter the world is white and frozen. Spring brings back the unending sunlight and starts the vigorous growth in the fields and forests. Due to the short northern growing period, the plants make use of the midnight sun and grow day and night. The cool climate makes their size small but enhances their flavour. The strong flavour concentrates in the wildfowl and game. Arctic Flavours at Kuusamo LaplandDAY ONE - WELCOME TO KUUSAMO LAPLAND Arrival at Kuusamo Airport.
Rukan Salonki Chalets In the winter there are many structures and sculptures made of ice and snow at the Rukan Salonki area, including a beautifully decorated igloo restaurant, an amazing ice sauna, and other constructions varying from year to year.
Rukan Salonki Chalets 12 and 13 Rukan Salonki Chalets 11a and 11b Dinner at your chalet with your host Chef Jarmo Pitkänen.
Menu Arctic Flavours While you are enjoying the welcome dinner, Jarmo Pitkänen will present the following days' programme to you. Some minor adaptations according to the wishes of the guests and considering the prevailing weather conditions are possible.
The culinary philosophy of Jarmo Pitkänen has been influenced by his many travels. Pitkänen has lived and worked, and most importantly, absorbed the atmosphere and local flavours in China, Australia, Hungary and Venezuela. Pitkänen has brought his impressions to his native Kuusamo and developed them into a restaurant where every little detail has been carefully planned. Jarmo Pitkänen’s northern origins are also displayed in his ceramics. The Scandinavian purity of line in his sculptures and the simple harmony of the flavours in his superb meals provide a visual feast for his customers. Pitkänen feels that ceramics and food have both always been an inseparable part of people’s lives, and they are also strongly tied toplace. The changing seasons of the north together with an uncompromising attitude to food is what keeps Pitkänen's thinking fresh, and in wintertime the snow adds an almost magical feeling to the Tundra experience. DAY TWO - FLAVOURS OF THE WILDERNESS Hands-on cooking course at Studio Restaurant Tundra.
We will start our exploration into the northern cuisine with the day's ingredients. Season permitting, we will go out into the wilds and pick our ingredients fresh from the forest and the garden, or we may familiarize ourselves with reindeer herding and the production of reindeer meat. The afternoon will be spent in the Studio Restaurant Tundra kitchen cooking and enjoying the delicious aromas of the north at the dinner table. Transfer back to Rukan Salonki Chalets. Possibility for real Finnish sauna-bathing in the Hi-tech smoke sauna and outdoor Jacuzzi at Rukan Salonki.
DAY THREE - VISIT TO A FISHING VILLAGE Fishing excursion with local fishermen. The day's catch will be vendace or other season's fish, which will be caught with seine nets. Dinner prepared from some of the day's catch – fish at its freshest.
Ollila Holiday Cottages
It goes without saying that most of the fish served in the buffet is caught by Tuomo Ollila himself from the local, clear waters. His wife, Marjo Ollila, is in charge of the busy kitchen. One of the long-time favourite dishes in the Fisherman's Delicacy Buffet is honey-flavoured pike casserole. Menu Fisherman's Delicacy Buffet Transfer back to Rukan Salonki Chalets. Possibility for real Finnish sauna-bathing in the Hi-tech smoke sauna and outdoor Jacuzzi at Rukan Salonki. DAY FOUR - TUNDRA FLAVOURS AND FORMS Gourmet dinner at Studio Restaurant Tundra, where the pure arctic flavours are presented on the studio's own elegant, timeless designs. Tundra Ceramics pieces are designed specifically to heighten the dining experience and to make your dinner one of the most festive occasions of fine dining of your life.
Menu Tundra The main course for this menu will be suggested by Chef Jarmo Pitkänen. Tundra Cocktail Transfer back to Rukan Salonki Chalets. Possibility for real Finnish sauna-bathing in the Hi-tech smoke sauna and outdoor Jacuzzi at Rukan Salonki. DAY FIVE A TASTE MEMENTO A parting gift from your host Jarmo Pitkänen is comprised of the best local flavours. Opportunity for shopping more delicious gifts and souvenirs to take home.
Transfer to the airport. Thank you for visiting Kuusamo Lapland - have a safe journey home! |
Jarmo Pitkänen is both a professional ceramic artist and chef de cuisine, as well as a dedicated world traveller. His Studio Restaurant Tundra is a private restaurant which offers you a taste of excellence in most unlikely surroundings. The building comprises a ceramics studio and a restaurant for 30 people.
StudioravintolaTundra
p. 040 7738 000
info(at)tundra.fi
