Finland The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure

BOTH: Whoo-hoo!

'The Hairy Bikers are back on the road...'

Wa-hey!

'..doing what we love most.

'Biking and cooking.'

Ohhh! Look at that!

'And it's going to be epic.

'This time, we're heading the furthest north we've ever been.'

We are in the Arctic Circle.

'In search of exciting food

'and some of the most unexplored places in Europe.'

Oh, it's glorious!

Our route will take us 2,500 miles round the Baltic Sea.

Kicking off in Poland

and then travelling through the trio of Baltic states to Russia.

Russia!

Then across to Finland and north to south through Sweden.

'To understand the food, we must expose ourselves to the elements.

'Experience life on the wild side.'

I...am a Viking!

'And test our mettle to the max.'

-Hey, it's cold!

-Well, it's the Baltic, isn't it?!

'I'm expecting vast forests.'

BOTH: SKOL!

-'Sparkling lakes.'

-Wow!

'And incredible biking roads.'

Look at that!

'There will be hearty home cooking, as well as cutting-edge cuisine.'

That's spot on.

'And, hopefully, a warm welcome.

'After all, these people are our northern neighbours.

'And it's time we got to know them better.'

Our lives are never going to be the same again

after we taste this sausage.

Cheers, mate!

MUSIC: Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top

'Sandwiched between Sweden and Russia,

'this place has been voted the best country in the world to live.'

BOTH: We're in Finland!

'But, apart from that and Mika Hakkinen,

'what do we know about the Finns?

'Sweden has governed them, Russia has governed them.

'I mean, Russia, you think of Putin and cosmonauts.

'Sweden, you've got Abba and Volvos, but what about Finland?

'They can't all be lumberjacks.

'I mean, for a start, what do they eat?

'Well, there's almost 200,000 lakes so there must be fish.

'75% of the land is wooded. That could mean foraging.

'And it's freezing in winter

'so there'll be dishes that stick to your ribs.'

I think Finland, Si, could be one of our best adventures yet.

We're starting our journey

in Finland's spectacular Lake District.

Then heading west to the capital, Helsinki.

Making a pit stop in Parolannummi.

En route to Finland's oldest city, Turku.

Before enjoying island life on Jurmo

in the largest archipelago in the world.

What a welcome to Finland!

'We go back to nature as we embrace the local way of life.'

Ooh, that's hot!

'Ride the new wave of Finnish food.'

You're not shy on the flavour. That's fantastic!

That is fantastic.

'Take our cooking back to basics.'

Hit said pegs with a log.

'And push ourselves to the limit.'

Geronimo!

Ohhhh!

'As we discover a brilliant, though somewhat eccentric, nation.'

It's an interesting concept.

BOTH: Finland!

'After the excesses of Russia,

'we need to take our foot off the gas and get back, well, to nature.

'And this is perfect - Finland's largest lake, Lake Saimaa.

-'Did you say Lake Simon?

-No, cloth-ears, Saimaa!'

Idyllic! Absolutely idyllic!

'Finland is bigger than Britain, but only 5½ million people live here.'

It's definitely not what you would call busy.

Look at that!

'Wherever you look, there's water.

'I reckon that the pace of life will be slower here.

'First stop on the wind-down tour, the beautiful island of Niinisaari.

'Log cabins in the woods, everything I thought Finland would be.

'It's lovely now, but it'd be tough in the winter.

'I guess they grow them hardy here. I wonder what their secret is.'

'We are in search of some great home cooking

'so we've arranged to stay with Orpo and his dad Heikki,

'whose family have been here for generations

'and who still live in the traditional way.

'They have told us that Heikki's wife Paola often forages for food

'and knocks up some classic Finnish dishes.

'Which is good, cos I'm starving!

'We're off to the kitchen to make lunch.

'And I'm off to the most important room in the house -

'it's time to bare all with my new Finnish friends.

'For those of a squeamish disposition, brace yourselves!'

-Do I need my trunks?

-Take it all off.

'It doesn't get more traditional than this - a genuine Finnish sauna,

'the perfect place to get under the skin of the Finns. Get it?'

Oooh! Ooh, that's hot!

A cold sauna would be a disgrace.

The sauna in Finland, it's far more important

-than just the bath, isn't it, for pleasure?

-Oh, yeah, it is.

It is an integral part of our culture, in a way,

because people used to give birth in the sauna.

All the big decisions, all the big things, marriages,

pacts, so on, were made and discussed in the sauna.

When people died, the last thing to their body

-was that it was taken to the sauna.

-Gosh!

For example, my grandfather, his father, was born in the sauna,

just like this.

'But Paola's not originally from here.

'She is Finnish Karelian,

'part of an ethnic group whose origins go back thousands of years.'

So, how long have you been living in this beautiful house, Paola?

I've been here now 30 years.

I come from northern Karelia

and then I met Heikki, he was living here one year alone

and we fell in love and now I am here.

And now you're here with Heikki.

With Heikki and we have two children.

'Paola is going to show me one of her family's favourite recipes -

'a Karelian speciality.'

-We're making a very famous Karel... Karelian?

-Karelian pastries, yes.

I remember you saying that you started preparing the sauna

three or four hours ago. It's quite a ritual, it's quite a commitment.

Oh, yeah, it is. It takes a minimum of four hours.

You have to take time.

For example, when I put the wood in the sauna,

I take the wood pieces one by one

-and think how the fire goes through and so on.

-Right.

So, heating up the sauna is part of the whole ritual.

It shouldn't be rushed at any moment.

'First up, we're making the pastry.

'Although they're Karelian, these pies are enjoyed all over Finland.'

-Cold water.

-And then some salt, half teaspoon is enough.

-I'll help you with the oil.

-Ooh!

So, oil and water together?

Then it is easier to handle.

Then one decilitre of wheat flour.

-Straight in?

-Yeah, straight in. That's enough.

And then three decilitres of rye flour.

There's a lot of rye flour in Finnish cuisine, isn't there?

-And it's husky and nutty, rye flour, isn't it?

-It is very nice.

Usually, I go to the sauna alone, just to listen to my thoughts.

So we can just be silent and listen.

It's important, isn't it, to take time to think?

-And we don't do that enough these days.

-Yeah.

Ohhh...

-'How's lunch going, Kingy?

-Bonkers, mate.

'I've just found out what they put in these pies.'

-Porridge rice.

-Porridge rice, OK, we would say pudding rice at home.

-Oh, OK.

-And what is the flavour?

Do the Finnish people have a complicated palate?

No, we like simple, tasty flavours

and we use everything that we can,

direct from nature.

-Nowadays, we make it with mashed potatoes, too.

-Ah!

But I think the rice is the most tasty one.

'It's simple, honest food, stripped down - a bit like our Dave.'

He'll have to get his bits out in the sauna,

which will be completely mortifying for Dave,

he'll be sat there really quite embarrassed.

Ow! Why am I doing this?

It's for your health and wellbeing. And the smell is amazing.

'Well, apparently, it's very good for your circulation.'

Wayhey! Well, it's a day out, isn't it? Whoo-hoo-hoo!

I'd hate to think what you do to enemies! Ha-ha-ha!

So, Paola, you know when the boys, after their sauna,

-cos the sauna is very hot, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-What happens then?

I think they are jumping into the Saimaa.

Oooh...

-They jump in the lake?

-Yes, yes. Sure!

-The freezing cold lake?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Get in!

It's very cold. Oooh!

Now I get it. Let's go back for a bit more.

10 to 15 minutes because it's so hot.

I feel more alive now than I think I've done for a month

and I've had some incredible experiences. That's wonderful!

Well, that's the main reason that you go to a sauna.

Do you think because,

certainly in this area, people's nature with the woodland,

do you think you're more in touch with nature than the rest of us?

This area, the sauna thing, it isn't just part of my culture.

-It's part of ME.

-Yeah?

-Being in nature, surrounded by nature.

Did you learn everything about sauna that you know from your father?

Oh, yes, of course.

I was about four weeks old when my father first took me to a sauna.

Gosh! Wow! Your father, he's quite a quiet man.

Yes.

HE SPEAKS FINNISH

He just said that it's better to be silent

and let people THINK that you're stupid

than to speak and PROVE that you are stupid.

That's how I've made my living!

OK, I think these are ready now. It's hot, hot, hot.

Then we put some butter and milk, it absorbs the butter

and then it's tasty.

So those little folds in the pastry

keeps all that lovely butter and milk in.

Interesting!

'And then, on top, a slathering of eggy butter.'

Well...

-You like it? Oh, thank you!

-Fantastic!

'Right, time to get these to Old Sweaty-Knickers.'

-Hello, mate!

-Hello!

-Oh, here we go!

-Snacks!

-Some refreshments.

How's your communing going?

I'm getting what it's like to be Finnish. Do you know, I like it.

I feel fresh, invigorated, alive!

You look it. You look it, dude.

Seeing as you're busy communing, Karelian pastries

with egg butter and local berry wine.

Oh, gosh! This is fabulous! You have been a busy biker.

A rye crisp filled with a kind of rice pudding.

Carbohydrate, fat, hard winters -

it's what you eat, isn't it?

-It doesn't matter when you've got a sauna.

-So, what was it like, then?

Do you just beat yourself with birch twigs, then?

You kind of beat each other with birch twigs. It's man love.

'Come on, Kingy, let's share the lurve!'

Why are you being so modest? It's all naked in Finland!

The backhand butt slap!

BOTH: Finland!

# Finland, Finland, Finland

# The country where I want to be pony trekking or camping... #

'This country is taking my breath away, Kingy!'

# Finland, Finland, Finland... #

'The lakes, the forests, long summer days...'

-This has to be a paradise on earth, doesn't it?

-Oh, mate, absolutely.

The serenity, the natural beauty of it is just breathtaking.

It's funny, the purity and the simplicity,

maybe that's what we're finding in the food.

I tell you what, it doesn't half feel wonderful

after three belts in the sauna, a swim in the lake

and some Karelian pastries.

'And, to top it all off, tonight is Midsummer's Eve,

'when the Finns get out and party.'

'Well, I think we should celebrate with a Karelian cook-up.'

BOTH: # Finland, Finland, Finland

# That's the country where we want to be. #

So, here we are.

And who would want to be anywhere else on Midsummer's Eve?

-Well, you wouldn't, would you?

-And to celebrate,

we're doing a Karelian hotpot.

Not Lancashire hotpot, not Geordie hotpot - Karelian hotpot!

It's a one-pot wonder that's a celebration of all things Finnish.

-We haven't even started yet, never mind "finish".

-I know!

'Now, the Finns love a Karelian hotpot.

'But what I love about this, it's the perfect one-pot dish.'

You can use whatever meat you fancy so we've got lamb, beef and pork.

Blimey, lamb, beef and pork!

Just put all your diced meat into your bag, zip your bag up,

shake the living daylights out of it

until it's all coated in seasoned flour.

It's that simple.

'Traditional Karelian hotpot's made with just meat and onions,

'but we're adding turnips and carrots for extra flavour.'

Oh, I feel so clean after that sauna!

I'm cleaner than a freshly bleached German lavatory - THAT clean, Kingy.

-Flipping heck, that's clean, that, dude.

-Oh, aye!

Now, the key to browning meat off

is not to over-pack the pan.

No, you want it brown, not poached.

Now, that's the vegetables.

The spicing in this dish is equally complicated...not.

I want a teaspoon of allspice berries

and two teaspoons of black peppercorns,

then mash them all up and crumble some bay leaves on top.

I think it's all about obtaining the maximum flavour

-out of simple ingredients.

-It is.

Now, we've got really posh meat for this,

but because it's been cooked for so long,

you can use any old bit of boot.

Really, you cook what you can get,

and, to be fair, it's Midsummer's Eve and all the shops were shut.

We had a right old scavenge getting this lot together.

-Can't you hurry up with that?

-Not really.

This is it, you see, Finland has got under his skin.

-FINNISH ACCENT:

-I am quiet, I will brown my meat.

It is done when it is done.

The Finns are comfortable with silence.

The Finnish interlude.

-Right, let's get the hotpot on.

-So it's a layer of meat first.

Then half the onions, turnips, carrots and spice mix.

And then we top that with another third of the meat.

What you can do to make it super-rich is to put blobs of bone marrow in

and that really does work a treat.

'Then throw in the rest of the veggies and spices.'

And then the rest of the meat goes over the top

and then just cover it with some stock.

We've got beefy stock, but water would do.

Then take it to a nearby friendly oven

and leave for anywhere between two and six hours.

Meanwhile, an ode.

The Kalevala - Finland's national epic poem.

It is a massive work and it deals with the creation of the Sampo.

The Sampo is an all-giving object.

It's very mystical, it's kind of a bit the Tree of Life

and it's about its forging, its creation,

but there's a verse in it

that kind of describes the creation of a hotpot.

-Shall we begin the incantation, Mr King?

-I think so.

On one side the flour is grinding

On another salt is making

On the third is money forging

And the lid is many-coloured

Well the Sampo grinds when finished

And to and fro the lid is rocking.

I tell you what, if the hotpot doesn't taste good after that,

I don't know what will.

'Midsummer's Eve marks the beginning of the warm weather

'and, after the long, dark winters,

'the Finns can't get enough of those extra long days.

'They celebrate outdoors with food and conversation...

'Finnish style.'

SILENCE

'In the olden days, they'd cast Midsummer spells

'to help them find a spouse.

'I don't need to do that, Kingy.

'I'll just charm them with my moves.'

He's off, he's off! Look at this!

'There is no magic to tango, Si.

'Once you've got it, you never lose it!

'I'm going to lose it if I don't get some food soon, mate. I'm ravenous!

'To the hotpot, Kingy!

'Served with lingonberry sauce for that classic Finnish flavour.

'A match made in heaven.'

-Well, happy Midsummer's Eve, Si.

-Happy Midsummer's Eve, mate.

-It's lovely, it's gentle.

-Really good, simple stew.

-Yep.

Full of taste and flavour.

The allspice is good, isn't it?

It just sets it apart, doesn't it? It's really nice.

-There's no mystery to it, is there?

-No.

It cooks away quietly, it does make something magic.

What do you think this trip is going to be, Dave?

I think this is an omen.

-I think it's going to be a very, very good trip.

-I think it is, too.

'What a great start to our Finnish adventure!'

-Bye-bye!

-Bye! Bye-bye!

'Orpo and Paola have given us a wonderful taste

'of both the food and the people.'

Fab! Completely fab!

'I'm sad to be leaving, Kingy.

'Me too, but we've only scratched the surface

'of this great big country.

'Next stop, Helsinki.'

You know, Si, in the sauna I found out some Finnish history

that might explain that quiet confidence the Finns seem to have.

In 1939, Russia invaded Finland on a land grab.

They called it the Winter War. The Finns were completely outnumbered.

For every 192 Russian tanks, the Finns had just one.

-That's mad, mate, what did they do?

-Well, the Finns knew the terrain.

They had a great commander, General Mannerheim.

But, most of all, they had Sisu,

a uniquely Finnish concept, which means having courage

and determination when the odds are stacked against you.

-Sisu, indomitable spirit.

-And they held the Russians off?

Yes, they did.

That's heroic.

Well, how lovely is this? Hello, Helsinki.

Plus, I've been told that the chefs here are making waves with

a new take on Finnish food.

Who-ho! Look! The train station.

Grand Central Station, Helsinki.

I'll tell you what, mate, it's a great city, isn't it?

-It's not what I expected.

-Here, Kingy, this street's called

Mannerheim Street. He's a legend around these parts.

-It is a city of cobbles, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Helsinki, the city of cobbles and trams.

And also coffee shops.

In fact, the Finns are the biggest coffee drinkers in the world.

I've heard the Good Life Cafe serves their coffee with an exotic twist.

Worth checking out, then.

Lauri and Samuli run this neighbourhood joint.

So they should know why the Finns are addicted to coffee.

It might be the fact that most of the year it's pretty cold and is

quite dark, so you need something that refreshes you or picks you up.

We don't really have that kind of tradition that we

gather around with family or friends and eat.

-Yes.

-But we do want to have some kind of reason to come together.

-Yeah, yeah.

-So, what makes the Good Life Cafe different?

One of them is the coffee tonic,

which is maybe a little bit exotic combination for many people.

-And then we have the omelette.

-Made with espresso machine, steamed ones.

-Right.

-I think that sounds like breakfast sorted.

-Could we have two of those, please?

-Yes, of course.

Eggs creamed and steamed, genius.

-Oh, great. Thanks, Lauri.

-These look good.

-That's the first one for me.

-Eggs in a coffee machine.

-Yeah, same here, man.

I've had salmon in a dishwasher but never eggs in a coffee machine.

Mmm, coffee and tonic.

-I like that.

-That's brilliant.

-It's very grown-up, isn't it?

-Well done, boys.

-It is good, isn't it?

-Fab.

One could even do a slim line.

-Definitely not as bonkers as it sounds.

-Nope. That's Finland.

Whatever sounds bonkers maybe isn't so bonkers.

Well, that set me up for the day.

That's good because you'll be working it off in a bit.

Look, as long as it doesn't involve Lycra, I'm there.

No cause for concern, my big Geordie mate.

I've just arranged to meet two of Finland's top athletes

-and see them in action.

-Hmm.

This is Taisto and Ilpo.

Taisto's been world champion five times but Ilpo

is ready to give him a run for his money.

I've never heard of them. What's the sport?

Wife carrying?

That could catch on at closing time on a Saturday night, that.

Wife carrying's an ancient tradition,

isn't it? That goes back to kind of ancient times

when people would rob other people's villages.

Then you could either carry a sack of potatoes

or you could steal somebody's wife.

So do you have different wives?

Or do you have to have the same wife?

Yes, it's possible that you have old wife

and you have other women in the competition

because it doesn't need to be your real wife in the competition.

I see, I see. Now we're getting at it.

-What are the techniques of the lift?

-The classic style is...

-..this one.

-Piggyback. Locked feet, locked arms.

Caveman slash fireman.

Estonian style is this one.

Oh, dear.

-My hands are free.

-Flippin' heck!

-It's much easier to run.

-Yes.

-So you hold...

-I don't keep.

I'll tell you what, it keeps your ears warm, doesn't it?

Yes, a little bit warm.

THEY LAUGH

-How are you doing down there? What's it like?

-I'm fine.

The mechanics of it I think are...

interesting.

A lot of the time, the Finns win these world championships,

-don't they?

-Yeah.

-Do you think it has anything to do with Sisu?

You know, that kind of indomitable spirit?

Some people, they are getting adrenaline to robbing banks

-but we are carrying wife.

-Could he try to lift one of your wives?

-Very good idea.

-Yes?

-You're welcome.

Crumbs!

Hey, I'll tell you what, she's light.

-She's my wife!

-She's not any more, mate, I'll tell you.

No time for wife swapping, Kingy.

-It's time to see who really is top dog.

-Well, it's clash of the titans.

I mean, this is Premier League. Competitors, carry your wives.

MUSIC: Chariots of Fire theme by Vangelis

Set.

-Three, two, one.

-HORN BEEPS

They've both gone for the Estonian style, Si.

Yes, they have, yes, they have.

And you can see why. It's neck and neck at the minute, Dave.

Ilpo's taken the inside track, so he's gained some space.

On the way back.

-Oh, Taisto's taken the edge on the turn.

-But Ilpo's catching up.

-The girls are holding on.

-But Taisto's got her feet in his face.

-He can't see where he's going.

-The marathon man's leading, Dave.

Who's going to make it? Who's coming through? It's the marathon man.

Step by step, who's coming through?

Well done. That was fast.

Well, the Finns may be reserved but they can be completely bonkers.

Oh, Ilpo takes it by a whisker.

Well done, definitely you're the winner, first one over.

In a real race, Ilpo would win his wife's weight in beer.

Well, I'll drink to that, mate. Thank you very much.

We say "Kippis" in Finland.

Here's to Finland and wife carrying.

Wife carrying should be an Olympic sport.

Well, here's a neat segue because if it wasn't for the Finns, London

wouldn't have won the Olympic bid.

-How's that, then?

-The Finns had the casting vote

between Paris and London but France's president Jacques Chirac

had been so rude about Finnish food that the Finns voted for us.

Urban myth or not, I love that.

But Chirac missed a treat here, Kingy, cos the Sea Horse restaurant's

famous for its high-class, traditional fare.

And it's been packing them in for nearly 70 years.

This restaurant's a complete slip back in time, isn't it?

It's like stepping back into 1950.

I think here we're going to find a food map of Finland.

-They love wild nature, don't they?

-Yes.

The berries and their... You know, and great meats and fish.

From the sea, from the lakes, from the land, from the woods.

I'm going to have the creamy salmon soup. That's very Finnish.

-I think I might go for the herring plate.

-Shall we share, then?

Oh, yeah, let's diddle dabble.

What are you going to have for your mains?

I'm going to have the cabbage rolls with ground meat,

onion and rice, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce.

Can't get any more Finnish than that.

I'm going to go the pike perch a la Mannerheim with horseradish,

butter, wild mushroom sauce and boiled potatoes.

There's a definite Russian influence here,

with the pickled beetroot, cucumber and sour cream.

And Sweden too, with pickled herring.

-Salmon soup for you, herring plate for you.

-Fab.

-Lovely.

I've seen this salmon soup everywhere in Finland,

from service stations to restaurants and hotels.

-It's absolutely the best, I promise you that.

-Thank you.

It's lovely, it's creamy, it's warm and big chunks of salmon.

Lots of dill.

You couldn't get this anywhere else apart from the Baltic, I'm sure.

-Try that.

-Oh, fab.

Without a doubt.

How good is that?

That's home cured, beautiful. Tastes it.

The beetroot, the pickles, the dill mustard.

-It all goes together perfectly well.

-Oh, mate.

You know what I think I'm finding?

Finnish food is representative of the climate and its environment.

And I think... Really harsh winters, so large portions,

really generous flavours.

You know, all of those things

that you love about home-cooked food, really.

-Fresh, isn't it?

-Yeah. Really fresh.

That's typical of what we're finding, aren't we?

It's great, fresh food.

-Here we have the pike perch a la Mannerheim.

-Oh, wow.

And here we have the cabbage rolls.

-Whoa!

-That looks good.

-Is that the lingonberries?

-Yes.

The sauce is with lingonberries

and there is lingonberry jam with them as well.

-That looks fantastic.

-It does, doesn't it?

Finnish people love their berries, don't they?

We really do and we like to mix our berries with... Like reindeer,

we have with cranberries and things like that.

We do love them.

We British, we love our sweet and savoury - mint sauce with lamb

and cranberry sauce with turkey.

But the Finns, its berries are everywhere.

-This is so tasty. Just a moment.

-Meat and jam.

This is meat and jam to a new level, Kingy.

It's all BERRY, BERRY good if you ask me, Mr Myers.

Actually, Finnish food may be down to earth

but it's not stuck in a time warp.

Like the coffee, Helsinki's chefs

are giving the food a fresh new twist.

And they're getting their ingredients from the green

spaces dotted all over the city.

We thought this might be a nation of foragers, turns out we're right.

I mean, they're legally entitled to go to the woods to forage.

# So we've come down to the woods today... #

-Are we in for a big surprise?

-Certainly are, mate.

This is where cutting-edge chef Sami Tallberg comes

for his ingredients.

He's trailblazing the way for modern Finnish cuisine.

Now he's the real deal.

Sami spent eight years working in some of London's best restaurants

but, in the end, there's nothing quite like the taste of home.

The best ingredients in Finland for cooking, they come from wild nature.

You know, the wild fish, game or wild mushrooms,

berries or wild plants.

And what's the best thing about Helsinki for me,

as a chef, is that one mile from central Helsinki, you have all this.

The green supermarket.

Once you get into foraging,

-you see edible stuff absolutely everywhere.

-What is this?

-This is called orpine.

-Orpine.

-Orpine.

-Yeah, taste it.

-Crunchy, juicy, succulent.

-It's like pea shoots.

-Pea pods, yeah.

-Slightly lemony as well. We have some violets as well.

-Oh, wow.

Beautiful as well.

They look beautiful but it's really the taste

and texture together that makes it an amazing ingredient for me.

-Oh, yeah, that's fab.

-Tastes basically like vanilla and almonds.

As you can see, this doesn't take very long

to get a meal for ten people.

What's fabulous is that there are flavours and textures that we

-recognise but they're just coming at us in different forms.

-Yeah.

That's really quite exciting to eat and to see.

From a chef's point of view,

these are all amazing ingredients to start with. That's why we're here.

Yes, absolutely.

The Finns are even more adventurous

with their food than I thought, Dave.

Well, in 2011 they invented Restaurant Day where anyone

can set up a pop-up restaurant anywhere for a day.

That's brilliant. I love it.

So, as a tribute to the fabulous foodie Finns,

we're going to do our own pop-up cook-up with Sami

using his freshly picked ingredients.

And the locals are giving us a warm welcome.

Welcome to the hairy happening today here at Helsinki, Finland.

Tonight is going to be lots of food, bikes and music.

All right, enjoy yourselves.

# Maybe a spoonful of diamonds... #

Right, let's make dinner.

Tell me, Tallberg, Finland's food and foraging God,

what are we cooking?

We're cooking today some wild fish and we have perch for that

and then we have some peas and burdock stems.

Then we have the wild-herb salad. These plants we picked together.

Dandelion, white dead nettle, yellow rocket flower...

Fantastic, isn't it?

Food for free but the flavours are all there.

..Japanese rose and a bit more amaretto

and vanilla flavour from wild pansies.

Well, I haven't said it in a while but that's a cornucopia

of loveliness. Wild loveliness.

What we have here is perch fillets.

I've salted them. Sea salt, a bit of pepper, a few thyme leaves.

Fry those off, a little bit of oil, little bit of butter,

butter goes slightly nutty. Lovely.

What do you think of the hairy happening, dude?

Helsinki at its best. Fabulous.

In a village of vibrant urban lifestyle with... Very close

to wild nature. That's what Helsinki is about.

Definitely finding that Finland does not deserve

-the reputation for poor food.

-We have good food.

What we have here is vinaigrette and that includes oil,

mustard and sea buckthorn juice and a very tiny bit of raw garlic.

Can I have a taste?

Awesome. You're not shy on the flavour, are you?

-That's fantastic.

-That is fantastic.

Sami, would you say this is contemporary Finnish cuisine?

Yeah, this is contemporary Finnish cuisine.

I'll tell you what, you'll have no problems in presentation.

It's the colours and textures and the flavour.

-Each plant is chipping in something.

-Yup.

And what I have here is fresh peas and burdock stems.

So this is the peak season now for burdock stems. A flower stem.

Before the flower comes, the stem is very tender once you peel it.

I've peeled it, chopped it up

and blanched it for just a minute or two with the peas.

Burdock stem is similar to white asparagus, artichoke or salsify.

-Wonderful.

-The fish is ready now, nice and medium.

-Oh, look at that.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-That's fantastic.

So that's it.

Pan-fried fillets of perch with wild chives, burdock stems and peas

-and a wild-herb salad.

-With a wonderful sea buckthorn vinaigrette.

Very difficult to make as well, yeah? Not really.

Local, seasonal, environmentally friendly.

I've got to dive in.

Any good?

-That's fantastic.

-You know, Kingy?

I think the Finns are on to something with nature's larder.

I mean, foraging is pretty mainstream here

but it's much more than just free food.

So full of flavour.

Way more sophisticated and layered flavours, isn't it?

And the burdock root.

This is tomorrow's asparagus. I'm having such a good time.

APPLAUSE

Helsinki's certainly raised the bar on Finnish food.

JEAN SIBELIUS MUSIC PLAYS

Crank up the music, mate, that's a cracking soundtrack.

It's Sibelius, Finland's musical genius.

-Hey, Kingy, you know what day it is?

-Thursday, mate.

That's right, and in Finland, Thursday's pea-soup day.

I've been told, you know, that there's

an army base up the road where they make gallons of the stuff.

I can smell it from here.

I reckon we could take them on in a battle of war and PEAS. Ha!

Oh, dear me.

But not before we've all worked up an appetite.

Here, these lads are certainly being

put through their paces, aren't they?

And they'll be learning about Sisu,

that Finnish concept of indomitable courage

in the face of impossible odds.

Could do with a bit of Sisu myself.

-Is there a lift?

-No, there is...

-You can come here.

-Now, Dave, now!

Conscription's compulsory here but what's the deal

if you refuse to sign up?

-Six months in the slammer.

-Oh.

How am I going to get you down?

Remember, the Finns are big on Sisu,

Dave, so now would be a good time to get some.

-Perseverance, determination...

-In a nutshell, guts.

-And being canny.

Finding an alternative way through any difficulty.

I'm not getting you out of there, dude.

No, but... Yes, sir.

Geronimo!

Oooh!

-It's only two metres.

-Only two metres! That's six foot.

-Go on, dude, go on.

-Clear the way.

DAVE GRUNTS THEY LAUGH

That's another fine mess you've got yourself into, Myers.

Sisu.

Speaking of which, where is the mess? I'm a bit peckish.

Well, you're in luck. The army boys are loading up their ammo for lunch.

An army marches on its stomach

and, in Finland, on Thursdays, they march on pea soup.

And they're not alone.

All over Finland, people are eating pea soup today.

-At home, at school, in the office...

-It'd be rude not to join in.

I'll tell you what, Dave, we might not be any good on

the assault course but we'll take them on in the kitchen.

This is the engine room, the powerhouse of the soup. A ham hock.

So we pop that into a couple of litres of water

and we bring that to the boil.

For additional flavour, we make a super bouquet garni.

Onions and a couple of cloves.

Two bay leaves, a blade of mace.

The mace is lovely. It's the outside of a nutmeg.

And that needs to simmer for about an hour

so that the meat's cooked through.

But now, on with the peas.

You get the dried peas - you do need to salt them overnight,

or else they'll be like bullets -

you salt them with bicarbonate of soda.

-It makes the peas softer.

-Indeed.

My mother used to say it helped break the wind.

And somebody else used to say it makes the peas stay a green colour.

However, you need your bicarb.

My little chum will top me with water...

Bring them to a boil initially for ten minutes.

Now, you want a hard boil for ten minutes, OK? Hard boil.

Now we need to remove the ham hock

and discard the bouquet garni.

That's the cooking liquor.

Now, we put the peas, which have been partially cooked, in there.

To that, I add me carrot and me onion for about an hour.

Oh, the competition's hotting up!

Aye, mate. They're nearly done. Big chunks of ham going in.

Well, I reckon our meat's got theirs beat, mate.

To that, we add a tablespoon of mustard.

One Finnish Thursday pea soup.

Finished.

You know what they say in the army, Kingy?

Know your enemy!

How's it going, fellas?

Oh, it's going great.

Flipping heck! It's a top secret recipe, this, isn't it?

This is ridiculous!

Oh, wow!

-Now, that soup...

-That does look good.

Man, that's bordering on, like, mushy peas.

Do you think this recipe's bulletproof?

Sure.

-And do you love pea soup?

-Yeah.

We have it on every Thursday at lunch or at dinner,

and it's a tradition with pancakes.

-Right.

-Amongst our soldiers, so that's what we wait for.

Boys, we're going to give you a run for your money, you know!

We've got Sisu, too, you know.

Maybe not quite as much as you've got.

Kingy, I've got an idea

that'll give us the edge in this battle of the pea soups.

It's served traditionally with a big pancake for pudding.

-Should we get the batter done first?

-Yes.

-We have flour.

Plain, for the use of.

To that flour, we add one teaspoon of baking powder,

-to give it a lift.

-Thank you.

Then we add two tablespoons of sugar.

One, two...

Add a pinch of salt.

Go on, mix the dry goods, Sergeant.

And then we make a well in the middle

and put four eggs in.

And bring the flour into the egg mixture.

Now we just add some milk, about 600ml,

and just fold it in.

Now, what we're going to do, we're going to cover that with clingfilm

and leave it for an hour.

To rest on our tank!

And once it's ready...

I would cook this in a heated oven about 180 degrees Celsius

for about 30 minutes.

That, my friends, is a Finnish pancake.

Genius, dude - pea soup with a splash of creme fraiche

and berries with the pancake.

They'll never beat this combo!

Oh, this is delicious, Si.

No wonder the army runs well on the pea soup.

-That's fab.

-And do you know what?

I think that Thursday at home should become pea soup day.

I think it should. Now, the only problem with that, though, mate,

where are we going to get a tank from?

-It does add something to the soup.

-It does.

I'm dying to get stuck into theirs.

-It's thicker and the meat's been worked down.

-Yeah.

That's good soup.

-That's really tasty.

-Mm.

So on the taste, what do you think of ours?

Oh, it's good. It's really good.

I think the Finns and the Brits have something

-in common with their pea soups.

-Yeah.

-Cos this is excellent.

-It is very good.

Well, I think we're about even in the war of nutrition.

Yes, mate, which is great as we're all about PEAS and love.

Do you get it? Do you get it?

Yes!

It's time to move on.

King over and out, sir.

We're heading west towards our journey's end.

The Aland Islands in the Finnish archipelago,

just 50 miles from Sweden.

But first, we're making a tiny pit stop in Turku,

Finland's oldest city.

We've heard about a church here

where they really let their hair down.

We don't often go to church,

but this was one service that it would have been a sin to miss.

A heavy metal mass

taken by the Reverend Haka, who could be your long lost brother, Si.

Amen.

HEAVY METAL MUSIC PLAYS

Heavy metal is mainstream music in Finland.

They even won Eurovision with Hard Rock Halleluiah.

HEAVY METAL HYMN PLAYS

Here, Kingy, I've got a confession to make.

I really enjoyed that.

Thank you for the welcome to your church.

Can you tell us, what is a metal mass?

Actually, it's a normal service,

but, you know, hymns are metal.

-Right.

-Yeah, and it's very relaxing.

Who comes to these masses, what sort of people?

Just normal Finnish average people.

And is this unique to Finland?

Ah, unique in the world!

-Right.

-Yeah.

Well, mate, Finland's eccentricities are piling up,

but we've one last destination before we leave this fair country.

But as we head further and further west,

the most Swedish it's going to get.

Because in this part of Finland,

the main language spoken is Swedish.

I'll tell you what, mate,

our bikes aren't going to be much use over here.

It's an infinite landscape of islands, you know,

the Baltic archipelago.

'And Jurmo is one of those islands, and our final port of call.'

'This area's off the radar for most British travellers.'

'But it shouldn't be, it's stunning!

'We're so far west, we're almost in Swedish waters.'

All those islands, they just go on and on, as far as the eye can see.

'Out of 300 habitable islands, only around 80 have houses on them.'

'And there are another 6,000 skerries, or small rocky islands.'

'The hardy people out here really have to rely on

'the produce of the land and the harvest from the sea.'

Where would you go for your pint of milk, though?

You'd have a cow.

You see, that's Sisu.

It's not a problem, it's a challenge waiting for a solution.

'The Aland Islands have their own government, their own flag,

'and even have their own stamps.'

'But, we're not here for the stamps.

'We're here to meet a local legend who knows this archipelago

'like the back of his hand.'

'Yes, we've landed ourselves a sixth-generation fisherman

'who's going to give us a taste of life as an islander.'

'Kaj Lundberg's as tough and as Finnish as they come,

'living and working in this remote, sometimes harsh environment.'

'And, if that's not Sisu, I don't know what is!'

-That's Kaj!

-Oh, brill.

This is it, Kingy, we will catch fish today,

especially as it's with a net.

-Jump in the boat and we are going fishing.

-Hey! Brill!

That's it, Kingy, I think we've left civilisation behind.

-I mean, this really is the wilderness, isn't it?

-It is, mate.

Other than the odd, isolated log cabin, that's it! Nothing.

I've completely lost me orientation of north, south, east and west.

'Fear not, my beardy mucker.

'They do say that Kaj is one of the few people

'who knows every single island around here.'

'And where the fish hang out.'

This a very good place because they are coming up here and eating.

Kaj, would you say that you prefer to be out on your own, by yourself,

-with your fish and your boat?

-Yeah. I really love it.

Do you ever bring anyone else out here?

Sometimes I do.

One time, I had a friend with me.

After half an hour, he said, "Kaj, I understand this, to be quiet."

So, we sit there half an hour, speak nothing.

Sitting there only.

-Finnish people are quite happy with themselves, aren't they?

-They are.

-They don't need to talk.

-No, no.

'I reckon fishing's another way for the Finns to sit back

'and contemplate life.'

'But we're in a sort of no-man's land here.

'So, how Finnish is Kai?'

We're in between Finland and Sweden here.

What do you feel more? Finnish or Swedish?

Finnish, but I speak Swedish.

But, when it's ice hockey, Finland-Sweden,

-I always... Finland!

-THEY LAUGH

What's it like here in the winter? I mean, does the sea freeze here?

-Yes, I drive on the ice here.

-DAVE LAUGHS

-No!

-Yeah, yeah!

Two years ago, when I was driving, the ice was a little too thin,

-so I go into the bottom.

-No!

-Yeah.

But I lose my back packer and my skaters,

so I must go back to the water again and pick it up.

Because it's so long to go home, it's 50, 60km to go home wet,

and it was 20 degrees cold.

So, I can skate home, it take only two hours for me. Yeah.

-So, I was a little bit lucky.

-A savage day out, though.

'Losing your quad bike on thin ice?

'Skating home over 30 miles?

'Soaking wet, in temperatures of minus 20?'

DAVE AND SI: 'Now that's Sisu!'

What are we fishing for today, Kaj?

I don't think we'll get salmon, but perhaps we catch,

in English, we always call it white fish, but in Swedish, siika.

-"Seek".

-"Seek", yeah. And in Finland, it's siika.

I'm going to starve at this rate.

-I can see one.

-Oh, yeah.

-Where?

-Yeah.

-Don't jump in and eat it!

-Whoa! Look at that, it's a corker!

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-Oh, that's good.

This is white fish.

Beautiful.

-It's like our bass.

-Yeah.

-And this is a very tasty one.

Many times I do like this. Yes.

'Kaj's a dab hand at gutting the fish.

'It's not long before it's safely stored in the ice box for Ron -

'"Later, Ron"!

'Well, we've got one fish and no loaves.

'We're not going to be feeding many people with that, mate.'

'So, we'll have to nip down to the shops for our fish supper.

'Because we're going to knock up a classic salmon dish

'to finish our Finnish trip.'

'Kaj's home island is a very tight-knit community

'of around 30 villagers.'

'Like true Finns, in times of need, they're there for each other.'

Well, we're working, they're working.

We've got a talkoot going on over there.

'Now, a talkoot is a call to arms,

'where everyone pitches in to help their fellow Finn.'

'Today, they're all mucking in

'to help Lassi paint his boat house in the Baltic.'

-Lassi!

-Lassi!

-Hello!

'But, frankly, that looks like quite hard work.

'So we'll help in another way.'

We're going to cook Scandinavian rye bread.

It's a recipe that works.

It's sticky, it's lovely, it's yummy and it lasts for a week.

-HE TAPS OUT A RHYTHM

-It so does.

And, we're going to do planked salmon.

Blazing salmon they call it in these parts.

Now, bread-making. First off, we're making bread like this.

You need to make the starter, or the ferment, or the biga.

Well, it's basically the bit that kick-starts life into your loaf.

So, take about 500 to 600ml of beer.

HE SIGHS

I'm going to put that beer on the fire

because it needs to be blood temperature.

You know when the fat bloke's on the ballroom and starts to perspire?

That kind of heat.

I tell you what, that fire's hot.

We haven't got a ballroom, but we've got one sweaty fella.

That's about right. So, we'll add about 20 to 25 grams of yeast.

Just crumble it.

Now, in about 10 minutes, that will start to froth.

It will start to give off gas.

And then we will know that the yeast is working.

Ah, Dr Frankenstein! We have created life!

THEY CACKLE

-Right, that's smashing, that.

-Yeah. Take the spoon.

Thank you.

We pour this into yonder mixing bowl.

# Yonder mixing bowl. #

-Look at that.

-Oh, look.

'Into this heady mixture

'go a couple of tablespoons of plain yoghurt, and rye flour.'

Here comes the good bit.

That, you leave in a draught-free place for about 24 hours.

-Would you mind, Mr King?

-I certainly would.

'24 hours is a long time.

'But, in Hairy Biker land, it passes in the blink of an eye.'

Look at that.

You have something that looks like a wholly inedible mess.

But full of life.

To this, we add two tablespoons of olive oil.

'To transform the inedible into the incredible,

'bung in caraway seeds, and some black treacle.'

'A soupcon of salt, some strong white bread flour.

'Then, get stuck in and knead the dough for 10 minutes.

'Then, cover it, prove it, shape it,

'and stick it in an oven at about 200 degrees Celsius.

'However...'

We're using a charcoal oven.

So, just sling it in, and hope for the best and keep an eye on it.

Now, we're cooking this salmon a way we've never cooked fish before.

That's on a cedar wood plank in front of a fire.

We're doing it Finnish style.

We have two boards which have been soaking in the lake.

Now, Heiki from the sauna made us these boards.

One...

He also made us these lovely little wooden pegs.

They've been soaking too.

What we do is, we get the fish, peg it to the board,

put it vertically in front of the fire.

In about half an hour, it smokes and cooks slowly.

And, allegedly, it's probably the finest salmon in the world!

Great thing to do with the kids.

I mean, don't pin your children to a board and roast them.

No. That'd be wrong.

But, you know, in terms of camp fire fun, it's brilliant.

Now, just to make doubly sure, hit said pegs with a log.

Nailed it.

'All we've got to do is season this beauty, easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.'

And I've got a funny feeling

this could be one of the nicest things we've ever tasted.

I think you're probably right.

'Simplicity is the key to this recipe.'

'It just needs to sit there for half an hour.'

Check the bread.

Oh, yes! Look at that.

Wood-fired rye bread by the Baltic Sea.

Finnish salmon, planked up, cooking slowly.

A bit of salad. We've got it made, mate.

'But, there's one vital ingredient missing

'from our final Finnish feast.'

Drinks and light refreshments!

'The boat house is painted

'and our blazing salmon and rye bread are ready!'

'I love it when a plan comes together, dude.

'And these guys have earned a proper dinner.'

Tasty, simple, generous cuisine. Love it.

-Yeah, and fresh, it doesn't get any better, does it?

-No, perfect.

What a surprise Finland's been, hasn't it?

What word would you use to take away?

Unique, I think Finland's unique in so many ways.

That is gorgeous.

They're a product of their environment, the harsh winters.

And people have to rely on one another

to make it through those winters.

And then, when the sun shines, everybody's out having a party.

They liberated me into a world of nudity.

I've just thought, this really is very good!

But I think Sisu, that's something that re-occurred time and again.

And you could see that with the army.

Another part of their character I was surprised to discover

was their eccentricity, Dave.

'They're blooming bonkers. The wife carrying!

'I've got an image of you

'with Christina round your neck like a scarf.'

She's my wife!

Finland, Finland, Finland.

It's the place to be. THEY LAUGH

BOTH: Finland!

-DAVE AND SI:

-'Next time.

'We head the furthest north we've ever been!'

BOTH: Sweden!

'To experience the good life.'

-That way of living.

-Yeah?

-That's more than money.

'To cook some local delicacies.

-'To meet Santa's brother...

-And his reindeer.'

'As we finally reach the land of the Vikings.

SIMON SNARLS

Now, this is a proper adventure!