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10/12/2009 ¦ National Association News

Finland: Beer is the ideal companion to Finnish Christmas dinner

Beer is the ideal companion to many Finnish Christmas dishes. Christmas dinner will usually offer ham, vegetable casseroles, and fish prepared in a wide variety of ways. Beer will be a sure fire hit, especially with the fish, but also throughout the rest of the meal.
 
Finding the perfect beverage to accompany many Finnish Christmas dishes is challenging, but a crisp, refreshing beer complements the flavours of pickled and spiced herring, roe and gravlax. Many top chefs know that beer is an excellent choice when facing the challenging taste combinations of a fish buffet. Beer is also the ideal companion to the Christmas ham and vegetable casseroles.
 
You can also choose from a range of Christmas beers that complement the season. A pale lager will always be a hit, but if you prefer a thicker, spicier beer, these can be served with the ham or after the meal.
 
Beer and kotikalja (“home-made beer”, its practically alcohol-free cousin) are traditional Christmas drinks. According to Taloustutkimus’s latest survey on Christmas food, Finns mentioned kotikalja as the number-one traditional Christmas drink. Milk came second and beer third.
 
Many people also found beer to be the best sauna drink on Christmas. Over 30 per cent of respondents would serve beer at Christmas dinner either with the fish, the ham or both, or then as a social beverage. Almost half of all respondents said that namely domestic beer should be part of Christmas dinner.

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