Sami Kuronen will bring the rich culinary culture of Saimaa to Finns' living rooms starting 7.7.2021, when a new TV series starts on the Liv channel.

D.O.Saimaa participates in Sami Kuronen's tasting tour

Sami Kuronen will bring the rich culinary culture of Saimaa to Finns' living rooms starting 7.7.2021, when a new TV series starts on the Liv channel.

Sami Kuronen will bring the rich culinary culture of Saimaa to Finns' living rooms starting 7.7.2021, when a new TV series starts on the Liv channel. Sami Kuronen's Taste of Saimaa series showcases the unique gastronomy and tourist attractions of the Saimaa region.

In the series, Sami Kuronen prepares local dishes under the guidance of head chefs and enjoys them in the company of local entrepreneurs, listening to their stories. Quality ingredients, food products and local specialities get the attention they deserve in the series.

Themes range from lake fish to wild herbs and from goose to lamb

Each episode of the series is built around a high-quality main raw material. In the first episode, the theme is lake fish. Kuronen will try his hand at fishing in Saimaa under the guidance of a local guide and prepare a pike dinner with a D.O. Chef. Saimaa Ilkka Arvola.

The diverse and even exotic food culture of Saimaa is introduced one episode at a time. At dinner, there will be wild herbs and vegetables under the guidance of wild food visionary Sami Tallberg, ethically raised lamb from Putkisalo Manor, goose with herbs from Hauhala, produce from the Tertti Manor garden and vendace trawled from Puumala, prepared over an open fire.

The series offers a window into the unique and surprising travel experiences of Saimaa. For example, viewers will be taken on a luxury steamship, to the waters of Linnansaari National Park and explore the history and manor culture of the old headquarters city of Mikkeli. The stunning lake scenery is present in every episode.

Diverse cuisine and world-class ingredients

Kuronen and the whole production team were surprised by the diversity of Saimaa's food culture during the filming. The attitude and hospitality of the locals was also impressive.

”The first thing that comes to mind about Saimaa is the lake's bounty: the diverse lake famous for its fish provides world-class ingredients for even the most demanding cuisine. The idea of local food easily comes true at Saimaa, as everything you need for a delicious meal can be found on the shores,” says Kuronen.

The series aims to promote the food culture of the Saimaa region. ”For decades, the Saimaa region and especially South Savo have been pioneers in food tourism, which is based on great raw ingredients, nature, local lifestyle and culture. There are 280 organic food producers in the region. The D.O. Saimaa label, the first of its kind in Finland, is also a testament to the long-term work for local food culture,” says D.O. Saimaa Project Manager Miia Korja.

The series was filmed over nine days in Mikkeli and Savonlinna. Companies from the Varkaus area were also involved. In total, 30 companies were involved in the filming. The programme has been produced in cooperation with Visit Saimaa 2 and the D.O. Saimaa projects.

Showtimes:

Liv channel, first screenings on Wednesdays 7, 14 and 21 July at 21-22 (two 30-minute episodes in a row)
Reruns on Liv channel Fri 19-20, Sun 19-20 and Mon 16-17
Ruutu streaming service 12 months after the premiere
For more information about Sami Kuronen's trip to Saimaa www.visitsaimaa.fi/fi/sami-kurosen-makumatka/