Finns’ taste habits are no different from other countries, but there is one seafood that is not popular with Finns.
When it comes to sushi, Finns have one enduring favorite year after year: it’s salmon. Salmon is eaten raw and grilled, in maki and nigiri.
In addition to salmon, vegetarian sushi has increased interest, with avocado at the top.
Today, sushi can be found in almost every grocery store. Even small towns have at least one sushi buffet. We asked S-group, K-group and Hanko Sushi for the chains’ most popular sushi.
S group stores sell Itsudemo sushi. At K-groups, the shopkeeper is responsible for the sushi selection, and the selections vary greatly.
Hanko Sushi restaurants have existed since 2009, and today the chain has more than 20 restaurants. Salmon nigiri, grilled salmon nigiri and various salmon maki are said to be the most popular of Hanko Sushi.
Maki is rolled sushi, nigiri means an oval-shaped ball.
Purchasing and sales manager of Kesko’s daily grocery store responsible for fish Carita Rissanen according to the most popular sushi are various nigiri and maki. Among the raw materials, salmon is the most popular. In nigiri, in addition to the same grilled and raw salmon, ebi nigiri or crab nigiri remains popular year after year.
In sweets, the selection varies more, but the most popular ingredients are fish and shellfish-based sweets. According to Rissanen, vegetarian and vegan maki are growing in popularity.
The previous salmon nigiri and maki are repeated in the list of S group’s most popular sushi. In addition to them, tuna and surimi minigiri are popular. Oshi sushi, which is a type of printed square sushi, is also sold. In career sweets, in addition to salmon, cucumber, avocado and cream cheese are the best sellers. Finns also warm to sushi containing sweet chili sauce.
Other fish and seafood are not suitable for Finns. According to the K group, octopus is the least popular raw material. Hanko Sushi is also told that Finns are not used to other fish. However, herring, for example, has attracted interest.
Distorted image of sushi
Hanko Sushi’s restaurant group manager Joni Heinikoski believes that the popularity of sushi has grown little by little in Finland, and it was only a matter of time before the popularity grew as big as it is today.
According to Heinikoski, trends always come to Finland with a slight delay. Sometimes trends are shooting stars, but the sushi trend is here to stay. Finally, after grocery stores joined in, sushi has become “the food of the whole nation”.
In addition, sushi buffets are very popular in Finland. Instead of sushi restaurants, Finns also want familiar warm food, such as various Asian dishes.
In Heinikoski’s opinion, Finns have a slightly distorted image of sushi. In Japan, sushi is a prized delicacy that is not eaten every day. In Finland, quality and appreciation have won over quantity, ease and cheapness. According to Heinikoski, in buffets you can always see ingredients that break the traditional boundaries of sushi, and whose quality is often not what sushi should be.
Finns’ favorite raw material is salmon. Salmon is used to being eaten and is available relatively inexpensively, which affects its popularity. According to Heinikoski, Finns are no different in this sense, because salmon is also popular in other parts of the world.
Instead, for example, octopus is a foreign product to Finns. You simply don’t know how to eat it.
– Finns have to be encouraged a bit to try different options. For example, herring arouses suspicion because it has a certain image. However, most are pleasantly surprised after tasting it.
More special alternatives rarely displace familiar and safe raw materials, and according to Heinikoski, that requires time and bigger changes in consumption habits and availability.
The most popular sushi
1. Salmon fillet
5. Fresh cheese-salmon maki