The International Coffee Organisation have announced that Finland is the largest coffee consuming country in the world. In fact they consume 12kg of coffee per person per year!
The Stats
That 12kg of coffee roughly translates to 10 cups of coffee per day, compared to the UK’s 2.8kg and Italy’s 5.8kg. In fact the coffee consumed in Finland is twice the average for most European countries.
Why Finland?
Coffee has been around in Finland since the 1700’s, although originally it was sold in pharmacies as many believed it was cure for headaches depression and even heart disease. But as the centuries moved on coffee became more accessible and popular.
The reason for the amount of coffee consumed in Finland isn’t entirely clear but it could be due to the cold and dark weather. What’s better on a cold day than a cup of coffee? It could also be due to the legal number of breaks Finnish workers have to take, breaks need to be taken twice a day for 10 minutes, maybe an encouragement to drink coffee? Another reason often cited is that coffee is served at formal occasions and always given to people when visiting your home, so coffee is part of the culture here.
One coffee drink that you will struggle to find in Finland is decaffeinated coffee as Finns simply don’t like it!
Quality
The issue in Finland has always been that whilst they drink a lot of coffee the quality hasn’t always been there. But now that seems to be changing with roasteries setting up in Helsinki. So called ‘third wave’ coffee shops are opening fast around the city. These third wave cafes measure out ground coffee beans and using digital timers to get that perfect coffee. All of this coincides with a rise in great eating places in Helsinki so good food and coffee are working together.
Best Coffee Shops in Helsinki
This is always a personal choice but we must start with Kaffa Roastery, just west out of the design district but well worth a visit. Kaffa coffee is also sold in Torrefazione. Another café worthy of a mention is Kahvila Savy, northeast of the city centre. Whilst Helsinki may not boast a huge number of good coffee bars the ones that are there are doing it really well.