If there is one food you should try simply because you are in Tampere, make it mustamakkara. The name literally means “black sausage”, and this dark Finnish blood sausage has become one of the foods most closely associated with the city.
It may not win a beauty contest, but that is hardly the point. Mustamakkara is hearty, traditional and surprisingly approachable when served the Tampere way.
What is mustamakkara?
Mustamakkara is a blood sausage traditionally made with ingredients including pork, blood and grain. It is cooked until the casing develops its characteristic dark appearance and is usually eaten warm.
The classic accompaniment is lingonberry jam. The combination of rich, savoury sausage and tart-sweet berries works much better than first-time visitors might expect.
How do locals eat it?
Mustamakkara is strongly associated with Tampere’s markets and food stalls. Traditionally, customers may order it by price rather than specifying a particular weight, which adds to the informal market-food experience.
Eat it while it is hot. This is not really a dish I would buy as a souvenir and save for later when there is an opportunity to enjoy it fresh.
Where should you try it?
Tampere’s market culture is the natural place to begin. Market halls and stalls are good places to look, although individual vendors and opening times can change.
I would pair trying mustamakkara with a wider wander through Tampere rather than making it a formal restaurant meal. Order a portion, add lingonberry jam and see what you think.
You may love it or decide once is enough, but either way you will have tasted something genuinely connected to Tampere rather than something designed specifically for tourists.