Start the Drinking Early

by wjw on March 16, 2009

Happy St. Urho’s Day, everybody!
I hope you’re all wearing the Green and Purple.
Zora March 16, 2009 at 8:41 pm

I had to look it up. Patron saint of Finland, and of Finnish vineyard workers. Fantastic. I’m part-Finnish. I’ve got a patron saint. Woohoo!

What am I supposed to eat or drink to celebrate this day?

dubjay March 16, 2009 at 8:56 pm

I think it’s mainly the drinking that’s important, but if you could whip up some kallamojjakka (creamy fish stew) or viili (tasty native version of yogurt) that would be good, too.

Zora March 17, 2009 at 9:30 am

Hmmm. Found a place that sells dried viili starter, but it would take too long to order and ship. The fish stew looks doable. Drinking … I don’t LIKE hard liquor, so it would have to be beer. I don’t think I can buy Finnish beer in Honolulu.

However, based on what I’ve been reading online, getting dead drunk on just about anything would be traditional, yes?

It might also be a good day to watch the Leningrad Cowboys on YouTube. Like their cover of Sweet Home Alabama, done with the Red Army Choir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014

Or perhaps just mosey on over to

http://www.ravintolazetor.fi/sapuskat_en.html

and dream about the food at Zetor, in Helsinki, which is said to be good. The menu is certainly strange. Review at:

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/07/18/zetor-tractor-restaurant-helsinki-finland/

Ty March 17, 2009 at 9:30 pm

Do vowels cost more in Finland? Why do they hate them so much?

dubjay March 17, 2009 at 11:54 pm

Ty. Dude. Count the vowels in the words we’ve been throwing around, like “viili” and “Kuusikoski” and “kalamojjaka.”

The truth is that we mugged the Croatians and stole =their= vowels.

By the way, Kalamojjaka— which I am not entirely sure how to spell, since it’s Finglish and not Finnish— is the perfect White People Food. White fish, white sauce, white potatoes. And very, very bland.

Zora, that Leningrad Cowboys clip is amaaaaazing! And the Red Army Chorus seemed to be having a hell of a good time, too.

Ralf the Dog March 18, 2009 at 12:00 am

Sorry for the off topic post but I just found a very interesting book being shipped on Amazon.

Just thought you guys should know.

http://stuff.ralfthedog.com/nag.png

parris March 18, 2009 at 1:55 am

why does St Urho have a little bird stuck in his pitchfork? ( I admit I am hesitant to google)

Any truth to the legend that the Finns choose March 16th to celebrate their patron saint to have a jump on the Irish in the pubs?

Ralf the Dog March 18, 2009 at 2:32 am

Parris, it is a grasshopper.

St. Urho drove the grasshoppers out of Finland.

Ty March 19, 2009 at 10:15 pm

Yeah, I guess I was just looking at kallamojjakka and thinking, “Ok, I get the double L, and I can even see an argument for double K, but what language needs a double J?”

Oh, and after a day of filling out Croatian addresses for international book sales, I really wish you’d give those Croats their vowels back.

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