Candy wonderland in Punavuori

If you are into candies and sweets there is one place you should not miss out on. Roobertin Herkku is one of the nicest and at the same time probably one of the oldest candy shops in Helsinki. Martti and his sister run it already in the third generation. 

And here you can get pretty much anything a sweet tooth can wish for. From mixed gummibears, licourice and salmiakki to peanut butter cups, caramel and nougat bars, candy stick and even self made ice cream and soda Roobertin Herkku has something for everyone.

After opening on Iso Roba (which also led to the name) it is now located on Frederikinkatu. Check it out! Not just the selection but also decoration is something special.

Enjoy your tart

Today is February 5, Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday. And Finns celebrate that day with flying flag to honor their famous poet.

But even more important than the flags are the Runebergintorttut (Runeberg tarts). You can get them in almost every cafe as well as in supermarkets. Runeberg tarts are made from almonds, flavored with rum or arrack and decorated with raspberry jam in a sugar ring.

Don't forget to have one of those today to celebrate one of Finland's most important writers.

Candy straight from the factory

Halva is one of the most traditional candy producers in Helsinki. Since the 1930s the company makes and sells delicious sweets. You can buy their products in most supermarkets. But you can also go straight to the factory and get your sweet treats right from where they are made.

Since 1957 Halva runs its factory in Pitäjänmäki. On the ground floor of the factory Halva runs a small outlet filled with delicious candy. Here you can buy gummi bears, sweet and salty liquorice and much more in big packages for reasonable prices. Also take a look at the shelf for second quality. The products might be packed the wrong way or have some other small flaws but taste exactly the same as first quality products. Of course you can also try lots of their candy in the shop.

Give it a try and enjoy!

Home-made English fudge

Do you also like English fudge? Then don't miss out on the new Fudgelove pop-up store at Kluuvi Kauppakeskus. English expat Richard sells his excellent home-made fudge there until Christmas.

And at Fudgelove you get much more than just the usual caramel fudge. Among lots of delicious flavors Richard also created Finnish influenced versions like his famous Lemon & Salmiakki Fudge. Of course you can also try some fudge beforehand.

You'll find Fudgelove on the first floor of Kluuvi or order their fudge online.

Check it out and enjoy!

Lighten up your day with a piece of cake

Did you know that you can get some of the best cakes in Helsinki at Herkku and the backery at Stockmann? They make and sell some sweet, delicious cakes and pastries.

Get them for take away or have a slice right there.

The Christmas chocolate is already here

Yes, it's already time. The supermarkets have put the Christmas chocolates, candies and sweets on the shelves. This will of course annoy some. But if you plan on travelling abroad or are just here as a visitor at the moment you now have the chance to already take some of the good stuff with you. Maybe as a nice souvenir or for your Christmas abroad.

Check it our - or ignore it for a few more weeks :)

Porvoo's sweet treasure

Up for some sweets? If you want to enjoy some really nice chocolates and candies and at the same time support local products then give Brunberg a try.

Brunberg Oy is a small sweet manufacturer from Porvoo, around 50 km east of Helsinki. The company has a 150 year old tradition and has a produces things such as truffles, Alku caramel fudges, jelly sweets, liquorice and of course the famous Brunger kisses. You can get their products in most supermarkets in and around Helsinki. You can also come to their outlets in Porvoo and combine the trip with a walk around the beautiful old Finnish town.

FYI Brunberg does not believe advertisement. They rather invest that money in their employees salleries and in improving their production.

Give it a try and enjoy!

Juicy, fruity, good

Do you want to start your week with a fresh, delicious smoothie? Then the jungle juice bar is exactly the right thing for you.

The concept is simple. Use fresh ingredients and mix them on the spot for the customer. That's all there is to jungle juice bar. But their selection is really good. You can choose between smoothies, super smoothies or just a normal juice. Go e.g. for a Killer Bee (mango, pineapple, passio fruit, orange and ice). You can also add some extra ginger or protein if you like. Or try one of their fruit shots.

The jungle juice bar can be found in many of the big shopping centers in and around Helsinki.

Give it a try and enjoy!

Cronuts in Finland

The pastry trend from New York now arrived to Finland. Starting from this week you can get the famous Cronuts also here.

Cronuts have been invented by Dominique Ansel, a French pastry chef living in New York and is a hybrid of doughnut and croissant.

Since Monday Arnolds sells them here in Finland for 3 €. On the first day they gave them away for free and a big queue formed in front of their shop in Kamppi kauppakeskus.

So if you don't plan on traveling to NYC in the near future to check out the original then give it a try here in Helsinki.

Brooklyn's best

The Brooklyn Café in Frederikinkatu is probably one of the nicest small, cute cafés Helsinki has. And their pastry is just amazing. It's freshly made every day by the two owners and one of the best things about this wonderful place.

Did you know that it's also possible to have their gorgeous cakes, muffins, cupcakes and more also as a take away? Just a few meters up the street from the café you find the Brklyn Bakery that has all those wonderful treats for you to take home with you.

Check it out and enjoy!

Sweet delights from Teemu and Markus

Some of you might already know Patisserie Teemu & Markus . This wonderful small bakery used to be at Kiseleffin Talo. A few weeks ago they reopened at Yriönkatu right opposite of Hotel Torni.

Patisserie Teemu & Markus has a small small but amazing selection of cakes, tarts and other tasty pastries. Try their wonderful macarons. Or go for a Finnish classic. I highly recommend the voisilmä pulla. They are probably the best in town.

This patisserie is open from Tuesday to Saturday and is always worth a visit. Drop by or check out their website to check out their sweet treats online.

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

Chjoko in Kruunuhaka is THE place for chocolate lovers. The small shop offers a pretty impressive selection of classic and extraordinary chocolate products. And almost all of it is self-made.

Try their heavenly pralines, cakes and petit fours. And don’t miss out on their macarons! They are some of the best I ever had.

Of course there is also chocolate ice cream. You’re saying chocolate ice cream is boring? Then you haven’t tried the ones at Chjoko. They have several different versions all based on either white, milk or dark chocolate combined with some spicy or fruity flavors.

Oh, and if you are a real chocolate fan you might want to come to their Saturday ChocolateBrunch where you can try and eat as much as you can for just 16 €.

Enjoy!

Make your own Magnum

Till the end of June Magnum has a pop-up store at Vanha Ylioppistotalo. Here you can create your very own Super Magnum.

First choose between dark and white chocolate as a coating for your ice cream. Then you can choose three out of a whole bunch of crazy toppings like dried strawberries, chili flakes, mini marshmallows, candies ginger, chopped macadamia nuts and much much more.

After giving the chocolate some time to dry you can enjoy your creation. You get your own Magnum with three toppings for 4 €.

3 kaveria ice cream – yummy and local

Forget Ben & Jerry’s, forget Häagen-Dazs and get some of the delicious new 3 Kaveria ice cream. It is a great combination of milk ice cream and sorbet. And it is local.

The three work colleagues and good friends Heikki, Ilkka and Sauli always shared a passion for ice cream. So they decided to go on an adventure and went to Italy and learn how to make good ice cream. Coming back they started their own business called Kolmen Kaverin Jäätelö (three friends’ ice cream) in 2012. Within a short time their products became a huge success in Helsinki.

Three different flavors are already on the market (strawberry-vanilla, blueberry-cardamom and raspberry-white chocolate) but there is more to come. To ensure the freshness and high quality of their product they only use ingredients from local farms. You can get their delicious ice cream in selected K-markets around Helsinki.

Enjoy! 

Mignon – An Easter egg with a long tradition

If you already bought all the Easter eggs for Sunday you hopefully didn’t forget to also buy some Fazer Mignon eggs. They are the most popular and traditional Easter eggs in Finland. And even the tsar of Russia used to order them as a very special Easter delicacy.

Mignon eggs are produced by filling a real egg shell with an almond and nut nougat chocolate. The eggs can then be decorated and hidden for the kids. If you didn’t get them yet tomorrow is your chance.

But today you shouldn’t miss the Via Crusis at Senaatintori. As on every Good Friday tonight at 21:00 the crucifixion of Christ will be reenacted here.

Coffee break in Brooklyn

One of the probably coziest cafés in Helsinki can be found in Punavouri. The Brooklyn Café, run by two American sisters is a place where you immediately feel at home.

The space is limited in this small café which means that especially on the weekends you will have to share a table to fit in – something pretty unusual for Finns. But this way you always meet new interesting people. This, the friendly service and the really good pastry are what makes this place special. Everything from bagels to blueberry crumble muffin is homemade – and you can taste it.

Drop by and stay for a cup of coffee or two. And you might even leave with some new friends.

Coffee, chocolate and more

Have you ever had chai latte with mango flavor? No? Then you should try one at Caffi in Lasipalatsi. The small shop offers not only great coffee and tea products from all over the world. The friendly staff also happily prepares the hot drinks for you right away. Enjoy them on the go or make yourself comfortable on their cozy bench.

And what about something sweet with your coffee? Try their delicious chocolate pralines.

You can also order their products online from their website or from one of their other shops in Espoo and Vantaa.

Tarts for the national poet

Today Finland celebrates one of its greatest writers: Johan Ludvig Runeberg. Every year on his birthday February 5^th the flags fly in honor of Finland’s national poet.

On this day it is a tradition to eat Runebergin torttu. It is a pastry flavored with almonds and topped with raspberry jam in a sugar ring. According to the legend Runeberg’s wife invented those tarts and made them for him every morning.

At the moment you get them in every supermarket. Enjoy!