Reijosfood

There are several stories regarding the origin of Vorschmack but it has become a traditional, but not so widespread Finnish dish as it was one of the favourite appetizers of the Finnish statesman, war hero and gourmand Marshall C.G.E. Mannerheim.

For main course Vorschmack is too heavy due to salty, quite “interesting” taste and combination of side dishes.

Vorschmack is prepared mainly out of minced meat (lamb and pork), anchovises and/or herring, onions and spices. The dish is usually garnished with beetroot, pickles, sour cream and eaten with baked potato. Made one change to original recipe of side dishes, had oven baked beetroots instead of pickled ones. Bought Russian pickles but they were too salty and therefore suggest those ones which are in small glass jars. And to be honest, Vorschmack itself was canned. And in this can anchovises dominant flavor flavour too much.

You can enjoy Vorschmack for instance at restaurants Savoy and Lasipalatsi in Helsinki. Had last year Vorschmack (picturebelow) as a starter in restaurant Lasipalatsi and it was delicious.