Local delicacies
Artisan ice cream, Finland’s favourite liquorice, genuine cheddar cheese… Jyväskylä Region produces a wide variety of delicacies, which you may try in a restaurant or cafe, or take home to enjoy later. Have a look at our list of local produce which are all worth a try.

Traditional sweets and artisan chocolate
Since the early 1920s, sweets have been produced in Vaajakoski, Jyväskylä. Chocolates and Finland’s favourite liquorice are still made in the production facility, given the name Panda in the 1950s. Panda sweets are sold in grocery stores and kiosks as well as in the factory shop operated in connection with the Vaajakoski production facility.

Cold treats
Art Gelato Ice Cream Company makes tasty gelato-style handcrafted ice creams and sherbets in their Jyväskylä production facility. You can taste the various ice creams made of fresh ingredients and nature’s seasonal offerings at, for example, Toivola’s Vanha Piha Café in the summer, as well as at Musta Magia Boat Restaurant in Jyväskylä’s harbour.

Top countryside choices and award winners
The cheddar cheese selected as Finland’s best is produced in Leivonmäki, Joutsa. It has also been awarded internationally. At Jukolan Juusto, the morning milk from the producer’s own dairy farm is converted into cheddar by using traditional cheesemaking techniques. The cheddar is used by many restaurants in their own dishes and also by Karoliinan Kestikievari, an inn located in the same building with the cheesery in Leivonmäki. Jukolan Juusto’s cheddar can be purchased from most well-stocked grocery stores, as well as from the Leivonmäki cheesery.
Komppa-Seppälä Organic Farm in Korpilahti, Jyväskylä produces handcrafted Järki Särki tinned foods. In 2022, the farm’s delicious ecological fish products were selected as Finland’s most responsibly produced product, and they were previously awarded a gold medal as well in the Finnish artisan foods championships. Järki Särki tinned foods are available from most grocery stores.
Vaissi Oy, the largest manufacturer in the Nordic region of the world’s most delicious rolls, produces a whopping 12 million cabbage rolls each year. Travellers are also welcome to visit the factory outlet of the family business in the countryside near Keuruu.

From nearby fields to the table
Kumpunen Farm in Petäjävesi grows organic oats, barley, rye and wheat. Their grain is turned into organic rolled oats, among other things, and is sold directly from the farm and via Direct Sale Heinähattu in Petäjävesi.
A loaf of local bread is always a nice treat to take home. Bread made of grain grown in the Jyväskylä Region and baked by JyväsPakari is sold in the company’s bakery shops in Jyväskylä’s Seppälänkangas and Lievestuore as well as in local grocery stores. Other local bakeries include the traditional Ruthin leipomo (Ruth’s Bakery), Elonen Oy, and Palokan Perinneleipurit Oy.
In the shop/café at Ruth’s retail outlet in Seppälä, Jyväskylä, you can get acquainted not only with Ruth’s products but also with the selection offered by many local producers.

Delicacies from honey to jams
Ahotuvan Tarha in Uurainen offers local honey in several flavours. Huukon Hillot, a local family business, produces specialty jam from first-rate domestic raw materials.
Chili enthusiasts should get familiar with Hankasalmi’s Salakuljettajan Chili (Smuggler’s Chili) product range. You can buy tasty sauces locally from the counter at Grill Room Hankasalmi.
All who enjoy good food should visit the Ohelanaukee farm in Korpilahti or the Syrjälä farm in Muurame. You can pick up treats from the premises to take home.
You may also be interested

Jyväskylä Region – Drink it up
Coffee, tea, artisan lemonades, or berry wine? Get acquainted with products from the Jyväskylä Region.

Get acquintanted with local restaurants and cafés
Start by visiting the Jyväskylä Region’s high-quality restaurants and distinctive cafés.

Read about a local producer´s operations
Read the story of Komppa-Seppälä’s local organic farm!
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