We're going to be eating Rudolph the Reindeer today.
I'm a little sad about it but I'm in Finland so I have to try Reindeer.
Reindeer, is it tasty or what?
It really is.
It has a very rich taste.
It is must different from the meatballs we had before the other day.
This definitely has a real much stronger taste to it.
If I had to compare it to something it tastes like a really strong seasoned roast beef.
I'm going to think of it as salami.
Okay, it tastes like salami.
There we go.
It's kind of like a roast beef.
It's kind of sour, right?
Sour and salty.
Okay.
Do you like it?
Yeah.
Is it growing on you?
Not growing on me.
We're going to give you a little tour of a Finnish supermarket and we'll see what strange
food items we can find.
So smoked salmon is a very popular food over here.
You eat it with rye bread.
That is something we had almost everyday.
We're also buying some Salmiakki, which is black salted licorice.
I detested the taste of it but Sam really liked it and apparently so does his Dad, so
this is for him.
This is a present for my Dad.
For George.
So in Finland there are many different kinds of alcoholic beers and beverages to choose
from.
They even have licorice flavored Salmiakki beer.
So chocolate is extremely popular in Finland and there is no brand more Karl Fazer.
So black rye bread is also really popular.
We've been eating this daily with butter, cheese and smoked salmon on top.
Canada represent.
We've got some Maple Syrup and of course the lumberjack.
Alright, tonight we've got a special Finnish treat to show you.
This here is called Salmiakki and it is black extremely salty licorice.
So my sister Ashley has been to Finland before and she specifically told me to stay away
from this nasty candy.
She says it is the worst tasting thing ever out there and that I will spit it out within
seconds.
So I'm not really looking forward to eating a piece of it but Sam here is quite adamant
about it.
So this Salmiakki here, this black licorice has sometimes been referred to by foreigners
as a kind of a fear factor food that television show the Fear Factor where people are dared
to eat something that seems disgusting and really strange.
What gives this the salty taste is ammonium chloride and this is very popular in Nordic
countries - especially in Finland.
That doesn't sound edible.
Alright, so here is a piece of the Salmiakki - the black licorice.
And I have to say that I've grown up eating licorice in Canada.
It is probably quite a bit sweeter than this and I'm a big licorice fan, so I'm hopeful
that I am going to like this even though it is apparently exceptionally salty.
So here we go.
Yeah, it is an explosion of flavors going on.
That's just wow.
That is very salty but I like it.
Here is another piece.
I have a bar of milk chocolate handy over here because I know I'm probably going to
need to wash away the flavor of this nasty looking thing.
I'm just taking a small bite okay.
Yummy?
Arrggghhh.
Did you just spit it out?
Did you spit it out?
I don't like licorice.
I've never liked licorice and that is just foul.
Okay, where is your chocolate piece now?
Better?
Good, because that means I get more.
I'm going to put some more pieces in my mouth here.
I'm glad you don't like it because that means I get to eat the whole bag.
We are just about to have a simple picnic lunch.
We got some smoked salmon.
Ooh la lah.
That looks tasty.
We've got ourselves a nice baguette sandwich to enjoy in the park, a lovely pasta salad
with feta cheese and some fizzy drinks to go along.
So we're just going to enjoy the view and savor our dinner.
The smoked salmon is easily my favorite part of this little picnic.
It is a wonderful cheap meal.
We were able to get all of this food for just roughly ten Euro.
So instead of going out for dining tonight we just decided to hit up a local grocery
store and pick out some things that look good.
This has turned into a fantastic little feast here on the park bench.
Hello, bird.
So we are having breakfast right now in the basement.
It has a bit of a dungeon-y feel and I love that we get tin cups.
It really adds to the whole prison feel.
I almost feel like I'm a prisoner here but with really good food.
So my favorite part about breakfast are these pastries.
They are called Keralian pies and apparently they are filled with potato.
They are supposed to look like brains.
Taste like brains?
Oh, yeah.
And my favorite part of breakfast here is just this awesome combination of trail mix,
fresh berries and thick yogurt.
Wow.
Tonight for dinner we've decided to have a simple Finnish meal.
A do it yourself meal.
We went to a Finnish grocery store and just loaded up on a whole bunch of different goodies
and we're going to have a small little feast.
I have really been enjoying eating lots of black rye bread with salmon and dill on top.
I think it is the best meal ever.
And I personally like to alternate between a hummus spread and a cream cheese spread
because those are my two favorite spreads and salmon is my favorite fish.
This is just an amazing little snack meal.
I'm going to miss this so much when I go back to Thailand.
Wow.
Okay, so when we were in Helsinki last week I tired a pear cider and now that we are in
a super market I noticed the same brand but with a pomegranate, so that is what I'm drinking
right now.
It is so nice and fruity.
I'm really thirsty.
She is going to get drunk like a skunk.
Hey.
And I've got some beer and I'm assuming it is Finnish beer.
I don't really know.
It could be Swedish or something else but I'm guessing it is Finnish because of the
'nen' I've noticed a lot of Finnish words and especially last names end with that.
So let's assume it is Finnish beer.
That's good stuff.
This is also really good.
It is like a potato salad and we're too lazy to get our own plates so we're just eating
it right from the container.
Having a do it yourself Finnish picnic is a great way to save money while having a delicious
meal.
So we're just having our meal here on the porch of I guess the guest house that we're
staying at here and it has got fantastic views.
Check it out.
We've found reindeer meatballs, so we're going to go try those right now.
Reindeer meatballs here we go.
Could we please try the Reindeer meatballs.
Yeah, sure.
Which are the meatballs.
Those are big meatballs.
I think those are potatoes.
Would you like some vegetables as well?
Oh, sure.
How about garlic sauce?
Um, sure, yeah.
Well no, I'm not ready but jeez.
Okay, I am filming.
I don't think I have much of a choice.
That seems like a big enough chunk right?
It is and what are you having?
Reindeer meatballs.
First bite.
Is it good?
These taste like a regular meatball.
Okay.
Yeah, it doesn't have a very strong reindeer flavor.
It is more garlic-y from all of the sauce we put over top.
And these have to be the biggest meatballs I have ever seen in my whole life.
Okay, let's see what you think of it.
They don't have as distinct of a flavor as I thought they may but what I really liked
here is this garlic sauce that has been put over top.