Ruisleipä

(Image source: www.visitfinland.com)

Ruisleipä – rye bread – made from sour dough, is a staple of the Finnish diet. There are many varieties but the most popular and widely available is reikäleipa, meaning “bread with a hole.” People used to hang their bread on poles from the rafters. It is dense, flat, and very heavy but Finns will have it sent through the post when they are living abroad. Never mind the cost.