Food, Europe, Finland

Mushrooms in Finland: The exciting journey of discovery through the forest and nature 2023

September 19, 2023
Adelina Bünte

Finland, a country rich in forests, has an impressive variety of mushrooms. Everyman's right applies here, which means that you can legally pick mushrooms and berries in the wild. Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Finnish forest and learn more about the importance of mushrooms in Finnish cuisine and culture.

The diversity of Finnish mushrooms

There are hundreds of mushroom species in the Finnish forests, which are also suitable for consumption. Especially in autumn, the following types of mushrooms are particularly popular in the kitchen: boletus, chanterelles, milk mushrooms, trumpet chanterelles, breadcrumbs and sheep mushrooms. In Finland, the annual harvest of edible mushrooms is estimated at about 1000 million kilograms, which corresponds to an average of 50 kg per hectare.

The mushrooms have different flavors depending on the species, which can feel like anise, fish or coconut, for example.

Mushroom picking has become a kind of Finnish national hobby. The mushroom season depends on the weather. Early varieties usually sprout shortly after midsummer in southern Finland. Picking often ends with the first frost, yet funnel chanterelles are among the last mushroom species of the season and can survive even a light frost.

Mushroom hunting in the Finnish forests

When picking mushrooms you need weatherproof clothing, good shoes, a knife and a basket that allows air to pass through. The mushrooms should not be put in plastic bags or backpacks. Here they do not get enough oxygen and go bad.

If you already have some experience in mushroom picking, it is a good idea to look for the varieties you already know. In Finland, there are only a few species of mushrooms that are truly poisonous and can disguise themselves as inedible doppelgangers of edible mushrooms. When you go mushroom hunting, however, you should be careful and avoid all white mushrooms and mushroom species with lamellae instead of tubular bodies.

It is important to gently remove mushrooms from the ground, as the distinction between edible and inedible species can often be discerned by the foot alone. Mushrooms that are not clearly identifiable should be avoided at all costs and should never be eaten. To identify mushrooms, you can consult books or the Internet.

It is a good idea to take part in a mushroom hike. Here you will be introduced to the different types of mushrooms and learn how to distinguish edible species from poisonous ones. In this way, you will learn everything about the right choice and preparation, without having to be afraid of poisonous varieties.

Popular mushroom dishes in Finnish cuisine

Finland cuisine offers you an incredibly delicious variety. Some popular mushroom dishes are:

Kanttarellikastike: is prepared from fried chanterelles and onions with cream or milk and usually served with potatoes or rice.
Sienisalaatti: a mushroom salad often prepared with fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelles or porcini.
Sienipaistos: is a mushroom casserole prepared with different types of mushrooms depending on the season.
Sienikeitto: a delicious mushroom soup, often prepared with mushrooms or wild mushrooms.
Sienipiirakka: is a mushroom cake made with different varieties such as chanterelles or porcini mushrooms.

Mushrooms are also popular served as a side dish with meat or fish, or added to salads. Mushrooms are often pickled and enjoyed as a snack or on sandwiches.

Sustainable mushroom collection and protection of the mushroom population

In Finland, much emphasis is placed on a sustainable Mushroom collection and the protection of the mushroom population placed. There are certain rules and regulations that must be followed to ensure that mushrooms can continue to thrive in the forests. Here are some practices used in Finland for sustainable mushroom collection and protection of the mushroom population:

1. Proper harvesting: When picking mushrooms, it is important to harvest them properly by carefully pulling the mushroom out of the ground, leaving the mycelium (the underground mushroom tissue) intact. You can also cut the mushroom off with a knife. This will allow the mushroom to continue to grow and multiply.

2. No overharvesting: It is important not to collect an excessive amount of mushrooms to ensure that the mushroom population in the forest is maintained and other mushroom pickers also have the opportunity to find mushrooms.

3. Respect for nature: When picking mushrooms, it is important to respect nature and leave the forest in the same condition as you found it. This means not leaving litter and not causing damage to trees or other plants.