Ten years ago, there was a turning point in the herb market when basil replaced parsley. Adobe Stock / AOP
Dill is the most purchased fresh herb in Finland. Closely behind it is the basil.
According to the most recent garden statistics of the Natural Resources Institute, basil has grown right next to dill. In 2022, 7.7 million pots of dill and 7.6 million pots of basil were cultivated.
After dill and basil, the most popular herbs are parsley, coriander and chives.
In the release of the Finnish Garden Association, it is said that there was a big turn in the herbal market ten years ago. Then basil overtook parsley, which had been in second place for a long time in terms of consumption.
Parsley, which took third place, was cultivated in 2022 with four million pots. Parsley is closely followed by coriander, the consumption of which has increased a lot in recent years.
Dill is the most purchased fresh herb in Finland. Adobe Stock / AOP
A week more time
Yrtpethko can be a hit in the home kitchen. Of course, this is upsetting, but the food supplier At Mari Moilasen is a guaranteed way to give fresh herbs more time.
Moilanen advises:
– Cut off the herb bush from the lower part of the stems and throw the pot of soil into the bio waste. Wrap the herbs completely in damp (not wet) paper towels and place the bunch in a tightly sealed freezer bag. Store in the refrigerator. This way you can easily buy your herbs up to a week more life.
Usage increased
The use of Finnish herbs has increased significantly in the last 10 years. In 2022, around 33 million pots of herbs were cultivated, while in 2014 the amount was around 24 million pots.
About 6 pots of herbs are cultivated per year for every Finn.
Fresh herbs started to appear on Finnish tables in the 1990s. In the early 1990s, the selection of herbs was mainly limited to dill, basil and parsley.