Serving up Doughnuts Filled with Meat!

There’s more to junk food than hot dogs  and hamburgers, and I’ve found this to be especially true in the Nordic countries. Sure, you can get an awesome dog or burger in Reykjavik (and in Stockholm, for that matter), but this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. When I took a trip through northern Europe a few years ago, I stumbled into a doughnut in Finland that I’ll never forget.

It’s been a while since I booked a flight to Helsinki – actually my first booking on CheapOair (the trip included Reykjavik, as well). On the recommendation of a local, I sought out Café Snellman, which is located in a tent at an open-air market near the harbor. I’ve done a bit of digging and can confirm that it’s still there.

When you step up to order your doughnut at Café Snellman, you might be surprised by the options available to you. Many are actually meat pies (doughnuts stuffed with meat rather than jelly or the favors you’d normally see here in the United States). Don’t worry; however, you can still get doughnuts that are similar to what you eat here. When I visited Café Snellman in Helsinki, I got one (well, two) with apple filling.

The doughnuts at Café Snellman are not round, and they don’t have holes. Rather, they are rectangular and filled generously. As with the apple doughnut, this is a crucial detail – the filling is so tasty that you want as much as possible! Eh, that’s probably why I ordered two of them …

Now, you can’t make a meal out of them, but it sure is fun to try. Your best bet is to grab a few doughnuts while you’re checking out the action by the harbor, which is definitely worth your time. And if you’re catching the ferry from Helsinki over to Talinn, Estonia, pick up a few for the trip (trust me on this).

Photo: Tom Johansmeyer