• 3 day ago

Finland will pay for a culinary tour of the country for 16 foreigners.

This fall, the tourism organization Visit Finland will organize an all-expenses-paid culinary journey for 16 international guests to promote Finnish cuisine worldwide, Euronews reports.

In September, participants will be able to visit one of two regions of the country: eight will visit the Coast and Archipelago region, and the remaining eight will explore the wilderness of Lapland. Special tasting menus will be prepared for each group, reflecting the culinary specialties of different parts of Finland.

The organizers reported that when developing the concept, they surveyed residents of the country about the dishes and flavors that best characterize Finnish cuisine and regional traditions. They then engaged Finnish chefs to develop the menu.

Chef Erik Mansikka is responsible for the menu in the Coast and Archipelago region. His restaurant, Kaskis, in Turku, became the first restaurant outside Helsinki to receive a Michelin star in 2022, and later a Green Star for sustainability.

In Lapland, the culinary program will be curated by Joel Manninen, chef of Sky Kitchen and View restaurant in Rovaniemi. In 2025, he won an award at the Finnish Young Chefs Championship, and a year later, he won a silver medal at the World Young Chefs Championship.

The winners of the selection will receive a four-day, all-expenses-paid trip. The program includes excursions, tastings, and a final dinner featuring his signature menu.