Finland on a plate -project to boost international visibility of Finnish food culture

Picture: Ateljee Mäntyniemi

The Culinary Team of Finland has created a new set of plant-based recipes with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. While specifically geared to the needs of Finnish embassies and missions around the world, the recipes will also serve those organising international meetings and events in Finland.

The project ‘Finland on a Plate’ is a natural continuation of the Finnish Food project carried out in 2023 with the Finnish Chef Association, which developed an extensive collection of traditional Finnish food recipes and menus. The new plant-based food project was launched to respond to the wishes of embassies for new vegetarian recipes: the demand for vegetarian alternatives is continuing to grow globally, and the provision of vegetarian dishes is seen as part of a sustainable food culture.

The ‘Finland on a Plate’ project compiles practical and easy-to-make recipes that feature Finnish ingredients, reflect the different seasons and follow the principles of sustainable development. The recipes contain an abundant buffet and five three-course menus with a wide variety of vegetarian foods. The recipes come with nutritional valuesand stories about Finnish food culture. All materials are translated into English for use at the Embassies and by caterers abroad.

“We want to offer embassies a modern and responsible way of telling their guests about Finnish cuisine. Pure ingredients, nature, and food traditions create a story that comes to life on the plate. At the same time, we are responding to the growing demand for plant-based alternatives,” says Katja Tuomainen, the Team Leader of Culinary Team of Finland.

“Food is an essential part of diplomacy and building Finland’s country image abroad. I am delighted that we can now offer embassies a more comprehensive and sustainable set of recipes, where the richness of Finnish food culture is also highlighted through vegetarian foods,” says Conference Adviser Annariina Kukkonen from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

“I hope that the embassies will actively use the new recipes and that the recipes will give others inspiration to try Finnish cuisine offerings,” says Senior Specialist Kirsi Viljanen from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. “This set of recipes will also support the implementation of the new national nutrition recommendations,” she says.

The set of recipes is openly available to everyone at: bit.ly/suomilautasella

Inquiries:

Annariina Kukkonen

Conference Adviser, Protocol Services, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 29 535 0898

Kirsi Viljanen

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry kirsi.viljanen@gov.fi, +358 40 509 8986

Katja Tuomainen

Culinary Team of Finland katja.tuomainen@kokkimaajoukkue.fi, +358 41 366 9108