Every Thursday, restaurants throughout Finland offer pea soup for lunch and pancakes for dessert
As the website "This is Finland" writes, pea soup has long been known in Finnish culinary culture. According to Arja Hopsu-Neuvonen, development manager at Martat – a Finnish organization teaching the art of home economics, founded in 1899 – pea soup played a certain role in the northern culinary tradition as early as the Middle Ages.
"It has been established that a dish resembling pea soup was cooked as early as the era of Greek antiquity," says Hopsu-Neuvonen. "Over time, various versions of the soup with unusual seasonings appeared in different parts of Europe. This recipe arrived in Finland from Sweden, like many other dishes."
Food before Lent
Pea soup, traditionally made from peas, pork knuckle, onion, and mustard, has several variations. Some cooks like to add carrots, others add cream and minced meat. It is often served with Finnish dark rye bread and butter. Pea soup is still associated with Thursday, at least on that day it is served for lunch in restaurants. In Finnish homes, this is not necessarily the case.
In Finland, grocery stores sell canned pea soup in tins. "Stores usually sell the most soup during the work week on Monday," says Jussi Mannila, assortment manager at SOK Corporation, which owns a group of retail stores. "As for seasons, January and February are the months when soup is undoubtedly sold in larger volumes."
This is most likely related to the onset of Lent. After all, the history of pea soup in Finland is closely tied to the arrival of Christianity.
"The preparation of pea soup on Thursdays originates from the fasting regulations of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages," explains Hopsu-Neuvonen. "Hearty food on Thursday helped Catholics fast on Friday."
Favorite of the cold climate
Currently, S Group (the founding company of SOK Corporation), Martat, and the Finnish Literature Society are collecting material for a book on Finnish culinary art in connection with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence. The book will be called Ruoka-Kalevala (Food-Kalevala), after Finland's national epic Kalevala. For obvious reasons, pea soup also appears there, as it is a main dish throughout Finland.
However, in certain regions of the country, it is loved more than in others. "Pea soup sells more in eastern and northern Finland; it is not as popular in the southern and western regions," says Mannila. "Overall, its popularity is not waning."
This is not without sense in cold Finnish winters. Who would refuse a bowl of hot soup on a frosty winter day?
Sweet addition
Usually, pea soup is followed by thick pancakes baked in the oven and topped with jam. The pancakes are baked on a baking sheet, then cut into rectangular pieces – this is a truly sweet way to end the meal.
Hopsu-Neuvonen confirms that this combination of main course and dessert also meets modern recommendations for a nutritious lunch.
"However, given that both dishes are very rich in protein, it would be ideal to complement pea soup with a lighter dessert," she believes. "But if the temptation of pancakes is too strong, you can replace strawberry jam with fresh or frozen berries."