Baltic Herring Festival

Several food festivals are organised in Finland during the autumn season, but the Baltic Herring Festival is the most prominent. The festival organised in Helsinki, Finland, attracts thousands of visitors during the week-long celebration. It is an ancient tradition in the country, and people attend it with great enthusiasm. The festival was first organised in 1743 and has become an annual tradition since then. There is a lot to do and explore, but the highlight of the festival is the Baltic herring, a fish species only found in the Baltic Sea. It is one of the most abundantly found fish in the region. 

Baltic Herring Festival – An Autumn Food Festival

Food festivals always hold a special interest in people’s minds as they get to satisfy their taste buds with a variety of delicacies. The Baltic Herring Festival is one such event that is known worldwide for its unusual and interesting theme. The people of Finland consider it not just a festival but a national symbol. 

The city of Helsinki organises this event in early October at Market Square. For one week, the Market Square is filled with numerous counters where visitors can buy things they like. There are also food counters serving a variety of food items. As the Baltic herring fish is the highlight of the event, people get to taste various dishes and treats made from it. However, the recipes of some dishes are kept as a trade secret by vendors and are not disclosed to the public. 

Fishermen from the southern coast of Finland bring in their boats, park them in an area known as the Cholera Basin, and set up their space to sell their items to visitors right from their boats. People can buy salted and pickled herrings, herrings soaked in different sauces and marinades, and other items like pickled beetroot, gherkins, honey, rye bread, etc. Some vendors also allow visitors to have lunch on their boats to provide a unique and special experience.

Activities at the Baltic Herring Festival

The Herring Festival is full of fun activities for its visitors. Live music performances are organised on a stage to keep people entertained, and the interesting music sets the tone of the festival. Several cooking competitions are held where people can show their culinary skills with Baltic herring as the main ingredient. There are competitions to find the Pickled Fish of the Year, Best Seasoned Fish, and the Herring Surprise of the Year. A few masterclasses and presentations are also organised for interested visitors. 

There are picnic tables near food stalls where people can sit back and enjoy their food. Apart from a wide variety of herring dishes, the stalls sell fresh produce, craft items, knitted clothes, and crockery. To remember the good time spent at the festival, a few vendors set up stalls that sell souvenir items for visitors to take along with them. Another interesting activity visitors can indulge in during the festival is bird-watching. With the sea close by and food all around, the entire area is visited by numerous seagulls who wait to get their share of food. Getting to watch so many seagulls together is a sight in itself.

Herring Festival and the Environment

The Baltic Sea Challenge is an initiative to save the Baltic Sea and the local water bodies. The city of Helsinki supports the cause and is involved in activities for the same. The Herring Market is a part of the Eco Compass environmental system. It aims at keeping the Baltic Sea clean. 

Eutrophication occurs when any water body gets excessively enriched with nutrients, due to which there is excessive growth of plant life in water. One of the best methods to keep the Baltic Sea clean is to fish and consume herring and local fish found in the Baltic waters. The festival leads fishermen to fish and sell around 16,000 kg of fish during the event. By fishing within permissible quotas to maintain sustainability, the Baltic Sea is kept clean.

The Baltic Herring Festival Finland also ensures that the environment is kept clean during the event. Proper waste management is done so that no waste material reaches the sea. All vendors are required to use recyclable and biodegradable serving materials. Waste bins are placed near the food stalls so that people can use them to dispose of waste. In addition, the entire event is supplied with electricity through a renewable source of energy to maintain the environment-friendliness of the festival.

Conclusion:

The Baltic Herring Festival Finland has gained significant popularity in today’s times. In its early years, the fair was often forgotten. But in the year 1980, the celebration was revived again, and several people now attend the festival every year. Attendees reach Helsinki Market Square either by public transport, through bikes, or by simply taking a walk to the venue. With so much to see and enjoy, along with the tasty delicacies prepared with Baltic herring, visitors never fail to have a good time at the Baltic Herring Festival.