The Egg Butter

We were at the harborside market square, Kauppatori–my mom and my little brother. They were visiting me during my year abroad in Helsinki, Finland. I had it all figured out; little did I know how wrong I would be.

“One of the most exciting things about traveling is the food!” My mom exclaimed as she was excitedly planning what we would do when she would come to visit. Unfortunately, aside from the Iittala vases, I had no idea what I would take her to see. I hadn’t explored the intricacies of Finnish cuisine. Apart from the Karjalanpiirakka, rice pies that I mistook for cheese pies(—and maaaaan what a letdown!), and salmon soup advertised everywhere as the national dish, I didn’t have many ideas.

Imagine the scenario. Me there, a broke student, aside from the occasional trip to McDonald's after a party, I’d never eaten out aside from at the school lunch hall. Now, the everyday luxuries in Finland are expensive, but Finland is gorgeous.

When I chose to go there for my year abroad, it was based on the excitement of real winter, proper snow, reindeers, and the frozen sea. Exploring something not readily available to me; the land of the Moomins.

And the land of naked people outside my window after a nice night of drunken sauna.

However, when it came to food, I had some research to do. So I cracked my knuckles and got ready. If there is something I know how to do, then it is to navigate my friend Google.

I found out where the best salmon soup in Helsinki city was, I found a restaurant that served reindeer meat, I found a café that served cinnamon buns (more Swedish?) by the seaside, and I found out that at the food market by the harbour there would be many authentic delicacies to try. I even bought rye bread for us to eat in the mornings, but none of those letdown rice pies; I kept them a secret.

So, as per my mom’s wishes, we tried it all, except for the rice pies.

The salmon soup was as expected, a soup with salmon. The reindeer was ok, but a little sad to eat. The street food delicacies looked were a blast, and my brother loved them. (These fried small fish are still his favourite food.)

It was all going so well; they were happy, I was happy. The harbourside market was our last stop on the journey.

The culinary adventure was going according to plan, and we had reached our last stop until the moment in Lidl. Then, it snuck up on me. My mom saw the rice cakes. I thought that Lidl would be safe, a German haven away from those dry things.

I took it as a sign from the universe, or whatever, and decided that it would be unfair to withhold the experience from them. Who was I to judge? I had tried them thinking that the rice was cheese. At that moment, I realized that my prejudice towards them had maybe been unwarranted. When you think you are getting cheese, having rice pudding is like mixing up a refreshing glass of water when drunk with white wine. Disgusting. Puke-worthy. I was harsh and narrow-minded.

So, after my elaborate plan of not talking about Karjalanpiirakka, I went along with it. We bought them.

I described that they were filled with rice pudding and not with cheese. So naturally, my mom, as audacious as she is, was excited to try this dry, tasteless treat.

But before she took the first bite, I did something that changed my life. I Googled them. As I said earlier, Google is one of my best friends. And why had I never done it before? But shit, am I glad I did!

Apparently, as the Finnish man explains in the video, they are supposed to be eaten with EGG BUTTER! I was confused; what the hell is egg butter??? I'd never heard of it.

Egg butter will make any bland, tasteless bread taste like walking in heaven—the dryest cracker will turn magnificent. Imagine. A fluffier version of butter. What's not to love? It turned the rice cake into a delicacy of the highest sort that I kept eating throughout my year abroad. And although I do not make rice cakes at home, I still make egg butter, which is always as popular.

Recipe:

Egg butter is basically just hardboiled eggs mixed with butter and a pinch of salt. There is no grand recipe; this is the recipe.

Then you, dear reader, can mix the proportions as you want.

I dare you to try.