Ten years ago, when I studied at Perho, my favourite course was Lecturer Jarmo Heimala’s sustainable gastronomy. During my studies, I interned at Chef&Sommelier, a restaurant run by Sasu Laukkonen, a chef dedicated to sustainable food culture. The AgriCulinary training gave me the opportunity to learn more from these two science mentors.

The AgriCulinary training took us through the stages of sustainable food production, from planting the seeds to serving the food. We students learned how to take care of the soil. Together we planted in carefully selected seeds in the field and grew our crops on nature’s terms. We understanded the vital importance of pollinators such as bees for crops and the continuity of life. Through many discussions we find out the best ways to use the harvest and explored how to use the inedible parts of plants to improve the soil and reduce waste.

Within a few weeks, I realised I had found a group of people who shared my passion and desire to understand the whole life cycle of a raw material and how to use it in the most efficient, sustainable and delicious way.

I had worked for several years at Skörd, a restaurant in Helsinki, which uses only local Finnish ingredients and changes its menu weekly according to the ingredients available. I was inspired by the restaurant’s dynamic and seasonal way of cooking and returning to the routine of a traditional restaurant kitchen didn’t feel right.

I found it hard to understand why we were creating menus for up to six months of the year that took little account of seasonal changes. Asparagus in spring and mushrooms in autumn didn’t seem like enough seasonal thinking. In many cases, it seemed that local producers could not be included in the restaurant’s raw material chain because, for example, the producer could not guarantee delivery of the raw materials to the restaurant, or the raw material used for the menu dish was not in stock. We could use other parts of the animal carcasses than fillets in our dishes.

Over time, I began to see the Finnish food system itself as the core of the problem. It seemed to be built on maximum convenience and cost-effectiveness, lacking quality and sustainability. I was alone with my thoughts. I found myself gaining the enthusiasm that was missing in the kitchen, picking mushrooms in the woods or discussing with a customer how the gooseberries in my dessert had taken him back to his childhood in his grandmother’s backyard. Then, almost as if by fate, I was tipped off about training, which sounded like just what I needed right now.

The most valuable lesson I learned from AgriCulinary training is definitely the power of collaboration. We need each other’s knowledge from different fields to progress and to pick up where we left off in order to achieve a lasting impact on the whole food chain. Encouraged by the training, last summer I rented a one hundred square metre plot where I grew, partly successfully and partly unsuccessfully, about twenty different herbs, roots and vegetables.

“Thank you AgriCulinary training for inspiring me to move towards my goal. I have found my own path: I want to proudly use Finnish ingredients and bring Finnish food culture to the forefront through great ingredients.”

Towards a more sustainable and transparent food chain

But the restaurant industry is a business, and we need to ensure that it is profitable. Change may come at a cost, but hopefully it will also have value. It has been difficult for us Finns to see and appreciate how unique Finnish ingredients really are. By taking small steps, we chefs, cooks and restaurant owners can also help customers take an interest in where and how their food comes from in the first place and appreciate their dining experience more. And to demand more. And as food professionals, we see that as an opportunity, not a problem.

Emma Wistrand graduated from Perho with a degree in Restaurant and Catering as a restaurant chef.