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[kissa_mau]

Yeah, be ready for the possibility of blizzard-like snow. On the upside, its a great time of year to go skiing up north. Also on the upside, you might actually catch a few Finns smiling on the street when the sun comes out. Very rare.

You'll have a great time. I'll actually be in Finland in March. I'm really looking forward to it. There's one type of rye bread from Pori that we've never been able to replicate ourselves, and I really, really NEED some.

[monsterx]

Yeah, be ready for the possibility of blizzard-like snow.

Not in Turku, there won't be.  Probably it will just rain. I'm a Helsinki/Tampere person, and don't think that much of Turku.  But I guess it is ok, if you like rain.  You'll have to go north for snow; maybe really far north these days. 

[untenured]

That reminds me.  Are there any foods that are a 'must try' or a 'must avoid'?

Untenured

[kilpikonna]

Salmiakki.  It's cheap and unique (well unique to Scandinavia as far as I can tell).
I won't say which category it goes in ;)

[monsterx]

That reminds me.  Are there any foods that are a 'must try' or a 'must avoid'?

Untenured

I could write volumes on this topic.

Avoid mämmi. It is not as bad as it looks, but that is not a recommendation.  Finland is not the best place to eat pizza or Chinese food.  Don't go into a Finnish hamburger fast-food restaurant, and don't touch the "mexican" food there - except for one place in Helsinki - and even there is won't look like what most people think of as Mexican.

but none of that you would probably do anyways. 

Fish is really good in Finland, especially lake fish.  They have lots of lakes, so lots of lake fish.  The rye bread is good.  Aura blue cheese is something I have been longing for, kind of like rouquefort, but way better.  Poronkäristys is reindeer with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce; if it is well-prepared it is good and it is something you can shook the kids back home with - especially around Christmas.  What happens to Rudolf when Christmas is over and Santa needs to cut back on staff?

[biomancer]

That reminds me.  Are there any foods that are a 'must try' or a 'must avoid'?

Untenured

I could write volumes on this topic.

Avoid mämmi. It is not as bad as it looks, but that is not a recommendation.  Finland is not the best place to eat pizza or Chinese food.  Don't go into a Finnish hamburger fast-food restaurant, and don't touch the "mexican" food there - except for one place in Helsinki - and even there is won't look like what most people think of as Mexican.

but none of that you would probably do anyways. 

Fish is really good in Finland, especially lake fish.  They have lots of lakes, so lots of lake fish.  The rye bread is good.  Aura blue cheese is something I have been longing for, kind of like rouquefort, but way better.  Poronkäristys is reindeer with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce; if it is well-prepared it is good and it is something you can shook the kids back home with - especially around Christmas.  What happens to Rudolf when Christmas is over and Santa needs to cut back on staff?

My recommendations:

The reindeer dish above sounds lovely and familiar - and I enjoyed every variation on deer that I had in Finland. Reindeer, red deer, all good!

The Finns make a variant of yogurt called viili (pronounced vee-eee-lee, I think).  Very very good.  Also many good local cheeses whose names I have sadly forgotten.

Loganberries make just about any dish better - they're nice on meat, salads, yogurt, whatever.  My hosts in Finland made us cosmopolitan-like drinks using loganberry juice instead of cranberry juice - very good!

Oh - and the recommendation from my host in Finland for the vodka-type spirit for the above drink and other mixers was a Finnish brand called Koskenkorva. 

Enjoy your culinary adventure!