Foraging or better known as “ravinnonhaku” is a popular activity for many people in Finland. The spirit of hunting and gathering is dated back millions of years ago and still is a widely practiced activity anywhere around the world.

In Finland, foraging is done most in the autumn when people forage for wild mushrooms, berries and other wild plants in the forests for consumption. In Finland, picking wild berries and mushrooms is everyone’s right which means that you can walk into someone’s property with a distance from the house or yard to maintain their privacy and you do not disturb the land owners in anyway.

I have always find it fascinating to walk in the forest and just enjoy nature and I must say I have found this in Finland where I have spend many times in the autumn picking berries and mushrooms and hike in winter.

In the season of mushrooms and berries, many Asians are coming to Finland as berry pickers due to the abundance of blueberries, lingon berries, wild raspberries and other berries which naturally thrive in this cold climate favorable to these plants.

Amongst different types of mushrooms, porcini mushrooms are the most popular among Finns although my husband and I love the winter chanterelle as pickled, fried or seasoned.