Karelian hot pot
Encyclopedia
The Karelian hot pothttp://www.bartleby.com/61/29/H0292900.html or Karelian stew (US)http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE3D71531F930A3575BC0A960948260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all (karjalanpaisti in Finnish
) is a traditional meat stew
originating from the region of Karelia
(now split between Finland
and Russia
). It is commonly prepared using a combination of pork
and beef
, but lamb
can also be used. Along with the Karelian pasties
(karjalanpiirakat), it is the most widely recognised Karelian food in Finland. In 2007, it was selected as the national dish of Finland by the readers of the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.
The hot pot is usually seasoned with black pepper
corns and salt
. Other seasonings such as allspice
and bay leaf
may be used too. Common vegetables such as carrot
, onion
, and root vegetable
s are acceptable additions to the stew.
Like most other Karelian foods, the Karelian hot pot is traditionally cooked in a pot (uuniruukku or potti in Finnish) placed inside an oven. In Karelia, it is usually referred to as just 'oven stew' (uunipaisti). The term Karelian hot pot can be used to refer to nearly any food that contains meat and that is prepared in this traditional Karelian fashion.
Due to the scarceness of meat in the past, the hot pot was traditionally only prepared for festive occasions. As meat became more readily available during the 20th century, the dish became a common, everyday food throughout Finland.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
) is a traditional meat stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
originating from the region of Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
(now split between Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
). It is commonly prepared using a combination of pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
and beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, but lamb
Lamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
can also be used. Along with the Karelian pasties
Karelian pasties
Karelian pasties or Karelian pies are traditional pasties from the region of Karelia...
(karjalanpiirakat), it is the most widely recognised Karelian food in Finland. In 2007, it was selected as the national dish of Finland by the readers of the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.
The hot pot is usually seasoned with black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
corns and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. Other seasonings such as allspice
Allspice
Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, or newspice, is a spice that is the dried unripe fruit of Pimenta dioica , a mid-canopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world...
and bay leaf
Bay leaf
Bay leaf refers to the aromatic leaf of the bay laurel . Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine...
may be used too. Common vegetables such as carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, and root vegetable
Root vegetable
Root vegetables are plant roots used as vegetables. Here "root" means any underground part of a plant.Root vegetables are generally storage organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of carbohydrates. They differ in the concentration and the balance between sugars, starches, and other types of...
s are acceptable additions to the stew.
Like most other Karelian foods, the Karelian hot pot is traditionally cooked in a pot (uuniruukku or potti in Finnish) placed inside an oven. In Karelia, it is usually referred to as just 'oven stew' (uunipaisti). The term Karelian hot pot can be used to refer to nearly any food that contains meat and that is prepared in this traditional Karelian fashion.
Due to the scarceness of meat in the past, the hot pot was traditionally only prepared for festive occasions. As meat became more readily available during the 20th century, the dish became a common, everyday food throughout Finland.