Finland, recently named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year in the UN World Happiness Report, is inviting travelers from around the world to discover its food culture through a new tourism campaign called Have Some Finnish. For the first time, the country is officially opening its dining table to international visitors through Finland's Official Tasting Table, a unique four-day culinary experience that will take place in some of Finland's most beautiful locations. The initiative aims to introduce travelers to Finnish cuisine, local traditions, and regional flavors while showcasing a side of Finland that remains relatively unknown internationally.
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Finland Wants to Share Its Food Culture with the World
Finland is known worldwide for its natural beauty, high quality of life, and reputation as the happiest country in the world. However, Finnish food culture has not received the same level of international recognition. Through the Have Some Finnish campaign, Visit Finland wants to introduce travelers to the ingredients, dishes, and traditions that are an important part of everyday life in the country. Finnish cuisine is closely connected to nature, local ingredients, and the changing seasons. Many traditional dishes are made using ingredients sourced from forests, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. The campaign is designed to help visitors experience Finland through its food and learn more about the stories and traditions behind it.
Official Tastings to Be Held in September 2026
The first Official Tasting events will take place in September 2026. One tasting experience will be organized in the Coast and Archipelago region near Turku, while the second will be held in Lapland near Rovaniemi. A total of 16 international participants will be selected, with eight guests attending each tasting experience. The selected participants will receive an all-expenses-paid four-day trip to the region they choose. The trip will include accommodation, activities, local dining experiences, and a complete itinerary designed to introduce visitors to the culture and food traditions of the region. The experience will conclude with Finland's Official Tasting dinner, which serves as the main highlight of the journey.
Applications opened on May 18, 2026, and will close on June 9, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time (EEST). The selected participants will be announced on June 29, 2026. Travelers can apply individually or together with one additional person.
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How to Apply
People who wish to participate in the campaign must complete a social media challenge and submit an application form online. Applicants are required to post a video on Instagram or TikTok introducing themselves and answering the question, "Why do you want to Have Some Finnish?" The video must include the hashtag #HaveSomeFinnish and tag Visit Finland's official social media accounts, including @ourfinland on Instagram or @visitfinland.com on TikTok. Applicants must also complete the registration form available on the campaign website.
Food Survey Helped Create the Menus
To help create the Official Tasting Menus, Visit Finland carried out a nationwide food survey in January 2026. People from across Finland, including locals, fishermen, farmers, and home cooks, were asked what foods and flavors best represent their region and Finland as a whole. Thousands of responses were received from around the country.
The survey revealed that some of Finland's most popular dishes include salmon soup, Karelian pie, Karelian roast, blueberry pie, pea soup, fried vendace, korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon bun), reindeer roast, gravlax, and rye bread. The results of the survey were used as the foundation for Finland's Official Tasting Menus. Finnish chef and restaurateur Henri Alén also contributed to the menu development process to ensure the dishes reflect authentic Finnish food culture.
Erik Mansikka Creates the Coast and Archipelago Menu
The Coast and Archipelago tasting experience was designed by Erik Mansikka, who was named Finnish Chef of the Year in 2013. Mansikka is known for his work with local ingredients, seasonal cooking, and modern Finnish cuisine. He is the founder of Restaurant Kaskis in Turku, which is considered one of Finland's leading restaurants.
In 2022, Restaurant Kaskis became the first restaurant outside Helsinki to receive a Michelin star. The restaurant later received a Michelin Green Star in 2025 in recognition of its sustainability efforts. Mansikka's menu highlights the flavors of the Finnish coast and celebrates the tradition of sharing meals together. Guests will enjoy a modern version of Finnish fish soup, which was ranked as Finland's favorite dish in the food survey. The menu also includes dishes such as cold-smoked pike roe, archipelago bread, and pickled whitefish. Some courses will be served during a boat trip through the archipelago, allowing visitors to enjoy both the food and the surrounding scenery.
Joel Manninen Leads the Lapland Experience
The Lapland tasting menu was created by Joel Manninen, one of Finland's emerging culinary talents. He won the Finnish Young Chefs Championship in 2025 and earned a silver medal at the Young Chefs World Championship in 2026. Manninen currently serves as Head Chef at Sky Kitchen & View in Rovaniemi, located within Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara.
His cooking focuses on ingredients from northern Finland and modern Arctic cuisine. The Lapland tasting experience is inspired by nature, the peaceful environment of the north, and the tradition of cooking and dining around an open fire. Guests will enjoy dishes featuring Arctic fish, reindeer, and wild herbs gathered from the forests. Desserts will showcase well-known Lapland flavors, including cloudberries and spruce cones.
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Visit Finland Promotes Food Tourism
Visit Finland launched the Have Some Finnish campaign to help more international travelers discover Finnish food and dining experiences. According to Terhi Hook, Food Tourism Expert at Visit Finland, the campaign highlights local ingredients, regional food traditions, and flavors that are important to Finnish people. The organization believes that food can provide visitors with a deeper understanding of Finnish culture and encourage them to explore different regions of the country through authentic culinary experiences.
More Tastings Planned for 2027
The September 2026 events are only the first stage of the campaign. Visit Finland has announced plans to expand the initiative with additional Official Tasting experiences in Helsinki and the Tampere region. These new tasting experiences are expected to be introduced in autumn 2026 and take place during winter 2027. The future events will continue to showcase regional food traditions and seasonal ingredients from different parts of Finland.
A New Way to Experience Finland
With the launch of Finland's Official Tasting Table, travelers will have a unique opportunity to experience the country through its food, people, and landscapes. The selected participants will enjoy meals prepared by some of Finland's leading chefs, learn about local food traditions, and visit regions known for their natural beauty and cultural heritage. As Finland continues to attract visitors because of its nature, sustainability, and quality of life, the Have Some Finnish campaign offers another reason to visit by introducing travelers to the flavors and traditions of the world's happiest country.
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