In summer, Finns pick up to 20 million kilos of wild blueberries. What is it about these dusty blue berries they love so much?

Helsinki

Blueberries hold a special place in Finnish culture, where they are widely regarded as both a symbol of the nation's love for nature and a dietary staple. Known as mustikka, these wild berries are freely accessible to everyone due to Finland's right of common access, allowing people to pick them in the forests and pass down the best spots through generations.

Finns consume an average of eight kilograms of blueberries per person annually, incorporating them into a variety of dishes such as pies, porridge, salads, and desserts. The berries are valued not only for their taste but also for their nutritional benefits, being rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Blueberry picking and cooking are deeply embedded in Finnish family traditions and daily routines.

Finland’s wild love for blueberries

Finland is in love with blueberries. The Finns call them mustikka. And for them, they're somewhat of a staple. But can anyone just go into the forest and pick them freely? And why are they considered a superfood? It's the symbol of the forest-loving nation. Healthy food that we can have straight from our forests. Having blueberries means that I am just appreciative of what Mother Nature is giving us. Finnish blogger Varpu Rusila is all about nature. In her free time, she and her family go berry picking in the forest. Thanks to Finland's right of common access, anyone is allowed to wander freely through the forests and pick berries here. The best blueberry spots, they are passed down from generation to another. And when you get married, you are introduced to your spouse's best spots. This is Finland's Lakeland region, an hour and a half from Helsinki. We visit Latti, where Varpu lives and works. She blogs about the Finnish way of life. And that includes the gathering of wild blueberries with her daughter. That's very normal. And that is also like the badge of honor. We are not that fussy about having blue fingers in Finland, because it means that you have been out in the wilderness. Hardly a day goes by where Varpu doesn't prepare something with blueberries. The recipe that we're doing today is my family recipe. And this is our go-to recipe. When we are making blueberry pie, we can do it in a heartbeat. So it's really, really like a five minute recipe. So let's get started. First Varpu mixes flour, baking powder, oats and a little salt. In a second bowl, she mixes butter and sugar. Then one egg. In goes the flour mix. And finally, some typical Finnish sour cream. The cream is folded in lightly before spreading the dough in a greased pan. In Finland, we love to use the wild blueberries. We believe that this is the real stuff, so to speak. They are high in vitamin C, fiber and also antioxidants. These are real, real blueberries. And I will just put them all around this plate. Add a little bit of sugar. And into the oven it goes, 25 minutes at 225 degrees Celsius. The capital, Helsinki, is also known for its love of wild berries. In fact, Finns consume eight kilos per capita a year, the equivalent of a large cleaning bucket. You'd be hard-pressed to find a market or cafe that doesn't feature the foresty fruits. They come in every imaginable form. Blueberry ice cream, blueberry licorice, blueberry muesli as a side dish to reindeer ham and in countless baked goods. For Finnish breakfast, they're often served on yogurt or in blueberry porridge. Can you believe that I eat this every morning and I'm not bored at all? And this is how we typically do them. So we put this tiny butter, we say in Finnish it's like butter eye for the porridge. Then this is organic honey and then we add blueberries. This is the number one breakfast dish in Finland for sure. I think every Finnish person has fond memories of blueberry porridge. And for lunch, a blueberry salad with Finnish cheese. The cheese is cubed and the salad tossed in a vinaigrette. The perfect light lunch. But now it's time for the blueberry pie fresh out of the oven. Finns prefer to eat it warm and at Varpu's house, vanilla sauce is a must. This is how we make it. Super great and just so good. So good. The twists and variations are endless, but for Varpu and her family, there's only one true blueberry pie.

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