Around the World in 80 Bakes – Stop #6: Finland

As part of our Around the World in 80 Bakes series, we journey to Finland — where the first true taste of spring isn’t strawberries or asparagus, but rhubarb. When the snow begins to melt and the sun lingers longer in the sky, Finnish kitchens awaken with the scent of raparperipiirakka — a simple, tangy rhubarb tart that marks the return of life and colour after winter.

But Finland’s version of the rhubarb tart is just one branch of a much older story.

A Tangy Ingredient with Ancient Roots

Rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) has a long and unusual history. It was first used not as food but as medicine, particularly in ancient China and Persia, where the dried roots were valued for their purgative properties. Through trade routes, rhubarb eventually made its way to Europe — especially Russia — as early as the 1600s.

By the 18th century, as sugar became more affordable, cooks across northern Europe began experimenting with rhubarb in sweet dishes, discovering that its intense sourness paired beautifully with cream, custard, and pastry.

Rhubarb quickly became a staple in regions with cool climates and long winters, where other fruits ripened much later in the year. That’s why countries like Germany, the UK, the Nordic nations, and parts of North America all developed their own rustic rhubarb bakes — pies, crumbles, cakes, and, of course, tarts.

The Finnish Take: Raparperipiirakka

In Finland, rhubarb was planted in cottage gardens and shared between neighbours. It thrives in the short but intense Nordic summers and emerges early, when little else is ready to harvest. Finnish bakers responded by creating raparperipiirakka, a buttery tart made with simple dough, chopped rhubarb, and a creamy custard-style topping — often made with sour cream, quark (rahka), or yogurt.

The tart is not overly sweet. It walks the line between dessert and coffee-table bake — the kind you serve with kahvi during spring gatherings or Sunday fika with family. Variations abound, from yeasted bases to streusel-topped versions.

One especially beloved take is Maisemakahvilan raparperipiirakka, named after the “Scenic Café” in Hämeenkyrö. Its signature crumbly crust and creamy topping made it famous when the café owner shared the recipe with the public — cementing its place in Finnish food culture.

A Global Favourite with Local Charm

Rhubarb tart’s legacy is truly global — it exists in many forms across cultures:

• In France, it becomes part of a custard-filled tarte à la rhubarbe.

• In England, it joins crumble or custard pies.

• In Germany, rhubarb meets meringue in Rhabarberkuchen.

• In North America, it’s baked with strawberries into pies that celebrate early summer.

Each version is shaped by local ingredients, baking traditions, and taste preferences. What they all share is this: rhubarb, with its unapologetic tartness, signals the start of the growing season — and invites us to celebrate it with something homemade.

The rhubarb tart may look humble, but it tells a story of survival, adaptation, and homegrown joy. The Finnish version is a particularly comforting expression of this: it captures both the austere beauty of Nordic baking and the resilience of seasonal traditions passed through generations.

When you bake raparperipiirakka, you’re not just using up rhubarb — you’re participating in a centuries-old celebration of spring.

Bring a taste of Finland to your kitchen – find the recipe here.