This is a formidable place in the Asian store. Spiky fruit abide side-by-side with frozen sea life of various size, shape and colour. Packets half frosted-over offer little help – ‘Squid balls’ proclaims one, another has text mostly in foreign scribble and, helpfully, in Dutch. Asking the shopkeeper is not an option, lest risk her wrath, therefore is all hope lost? No, it is not. Here is SixDegrees’ helpful guide to perusing the freezer section.

During the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to make extensive use of Finland’s health care facilities. Not that I would have really wanted this opportunity, of course, but I must admit that I have been curious as to how good the hospitals here really are.

I have undergone a couple of different outpatient medical procedures, and such a battery of tests that I could now find my way to the Meilahti Hospital laboratory in complete darkness.

A weekly menu ensures a different global cuisine is always around the corner in Tampere.

Tucked into the ground floor of an old wooden house in the historic neighborhood of Pispala, Tampere, Café Pispala is a bit of local secret, still a hidden gem. Founded by Bostonian Yvonne and Finn Vesa Leppälä, the café opened its doors in June this year. It exists as the culmination of a lifelong love of cuisines of the world, and was also born from the desire to share these flavours with the eclectic people of Pispala.

Tofu is no longer a mystery faux meat to the Finnish market. We’ve got your soymilk, soy drink, soy cream, hemp-tofu, smoked and marinated tofu and all kinds of business. But what about the mystery hybrid tofus – and how do you treat silken versus regular versus extra firm tofu? Read on gentle reader. Read on.

A lot happened in Estonia during the summer of ‘88. It began following the banning of a rock concert in Tallinn’s inner city by the ruling Communist Party, when a few thousand ordinary people walked down the road to a large outdoor arena, and started to sing.

The next day, there were 10,000 people at the arena. By the sixth night there were 200,000 people, holding hands and singing traditional songs unheard in the country for 50 years.