We've had many memorable meals in Finland ranging from an exquisite Michelin Star restaurant tasting menu hosted by our wonderful sommelier friend to delicious smoked Bream and Salmon at my dad's cottage and simple bonfire coffee in the middle of a snowmobile safari in Lapland. Yet, when Joel and I think back to the most enjoyable meal we've ever had in Finland, we always talk about a sunny summer afternoon that we spent with my mom at the 7th floor Muikkuterassi by the Savonlinna harbor and market place. It was a simple but a delicious meal - heaping pile of fried small fish called Muikku and beer to wash it down - enjoyed with sweeping lake views. So good I think we want to drive the 4 hours to show the kids Savonlinna as an excuse to try the same place again!
Savonlinna is a city in eastern Finland on Lake Saimaa. Lake Saimaa is the largest lake in Finland - if you look at the two towns Iisalmi and Lappeenrante on its opposite ends, the sprawling lake covers at least 220 mile/356km in the north-south direction. It is the result of glacial melting at the end of the ice age. Savonlinna is well known for its opera festival and its 15th century castle called Olavinlinna. The Opera Festival actually takes place inside the castle! On the same trip, Joel and I saw Mozart's Magic Flute there and I've separately even been to a wedding at the castle - beats your average banquet room for sure!
Muikku are little lake fish, not smelt or sardines, which on menus in Finland get the English translation is "Vendace". I'm not sure "Vendace" explains it to anyone English speaking either... In any case, you can catch them in nets in lakes and in my mother's opinion the best, tiniest ones that are about the size of your pinky, come from Kuusamo's Kitkajärvi. I just read they call the Muikku from this lake "Kitkan Viisaat" i.e. the "Kitka Wise" because apparently these fish know not to swim downstream which would take them to Russia...
You eat the tiniest Muikku whole and the slightly bigger ones with their heads cut off (before frying) by holding the tail and biting off the rest. They are made by cleaning the innerds of the fish and then simply dipping them in rye flour, maybe with some salt & pepper in the flour, and then frying them up in butter. You'd think the kids would be disgusted by the idea of eating whole fish. Nope. They love Muikku and gobble them up like crazy too. On this current trip, when we played tourist in Helsinki back in August, we did a Muikku taste test at the Helsinki market place and tried out a few different vendors. The Muikku there are ok, easy access for tourists without having to pay a lot at a restaurant. We later had them at home - in fact our 13 year old just fried some for us two nights ago; they disappeared in no time. (Side note: It is amazing that the kids are learning to cook here... more about that in another post.) Take it from the whole family: if you are in Finland, Muikku are a must try!
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