A long-simmered hash of minced lamb or beef with herring, onion and garlic, served with sour cream, pickles and boiled potato. Rich, salty and unmistakably old-Helsinki.

Vorschmack reached Helsinki through Russia and Eastern European Jewish kitchens, and was made famous locally by Marshal Mannerheim, who served his own version to guests. Savoy, opened 1937, kept it on the menu as a house signature, and it remains a fixture of the city's grand dining rooms. The dish divides newcomers and delights regulars in equal measure.

Where to eat Vorschmack in Helsinki

2 editor picks for Vorschmack in Helsinki, ranked by editorial score. All Helsinki signature dishes · Vorschmack across every city.

  • Savoy

    Order Vorschmack, the minced beef and herring hash that Marshal Mannerheim made a Savoy fixture.

    Savoy on the eighth floor of the Esplanadi has served Finnish-French cooking since 1937 in an Aalto interior; vorschmack is the house signature.

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  • Elite

    Order Vorschmack, the minced-meat hash, or the platter of fried Baltic herring with mash.

    Elite in Töölö has been the artists' restaurant since 1932, its walls hung with paintings, serving Finnish classics like vorschmack and fried Baltic herring.

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Make it at home

Serves 42 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 400g minced lamb or beef
  • 2 salted herring fillets, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Black pepper
  • To serve: sour cream, pickled cucumber, boiled potatoes, a fried egg

Method

  1. Brown the mince in the butter, breaking it up, then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.
  2. Stir in the tomato puree and chopped herring and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the stock, season with pepper (the herring brings salt) and simmer very gently for 1.5 hours until dark and thick.
  4. Blitz briefly or pass through a mincer for the traditional smooth texture, then return to the pan to warm through.
  5. Serve hot with boiled potatoes, sour cream, pickles and, if you like, a fried egg on top.

Editor tip. Taste before adding any salt; the herring usually seasons the whole dish on its own.

Common allergens: Fish, Milk.