Tomatoes from Närpes are known everywhere. However, the idyllic small town on the west coast also offers much more to shoppers who are interested in locally produced food. Local producers have created innovations by utilizing old-fashioned nostalgic elements that not only treat your tasting buds, they almost take you to another time and dimension. Take a trip around Närpes and pick up the best fresh ingredients for your summer kitchen!
What is it all about? Many producers have put up small kiosks that function by self-service principles on the banks of roads. These treasures of locally produced food are not located side by side but by a bike or car, the distances will not be a problem. You can start the tour from the raspberry kiosk in Finby (Strandgärdståget 31). The berries are packed and priced and you pay in cash to the reserved box. The assortment varies but whenever raspberry juice is available, it is worth picking up a bottle or two! Obvious as it is, the raspberry juice is very Instagram-friendly on a sunny day.
After eating your stomach full of raspberries, continue a couple of kilometers down the road to the village of Kalax. One of the popular kiosks is the Egg Shop (www.haga.fi/#aggboden), where you find fresh eggs sold directly from the farm. As the road goes on, you will reach the village of Nämpnäs, where the small kiosks offer a selection of fresh vegetables, eggs and oat flakes. And the famous tomatoes are found in multiple places. The fish shop Polar File and the general store Gullans (Nämpnäsvägen 109) hold up the tradition of having an ever-changing selection of products. To quote Forrest Gump: “Life’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
The best thing about shopping in Närpes is the element of surprise. Let chance be your guide and plan the dinner menu according to what ingredients you have found.
The best thing about shopping in Närpes is the element of surprise. Let chance be your guide and plan the dinner menu according to what ingredients you have found. If you happen to get hungry before heading home, you can of course enjoy a picnic in the park Öjskogparken or somewhere along the coast looking out over the sea. A tip for those, who want to include a restaurant experience to the trip: Linds Kök offers food with great flavor in a unique greenhouse scenery. There is even strawberries on sale in the garden. Check the opening hours at https://www.lindskok.fi/homepage/.
Närpes is located on the west coast, about an hour’s drive south from Vaasa. As your travel guide in Närpes, Raymond Wesander.
Text published 12.5.2020.
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You do not need to board a plane to experience the jungle and exciting flavours. In our green house restaurant by Highway 8 in Närpes you will dine under tropical fruit trees and breathe the fragrances of herbs while you will enjoy a culinary experience.
Have you ever tried strawberries with garlic? A steak in a liquorice sauce? Or a sweet panna cotta based on tomato? It is natural for us to use tomatoes in our cooking: Närpes is the largest tomato producer in the country. For extra flair, we season our home-made dishes with our own herbs and edible flowers.
The temperature is always pleasant, regardless of whether the sun is high or the snow covers the ground. Our Asian vibes are noticeable all year. In the summer you can enjoy our summer lunch every day – you neither can nor must reserve a table. During the winter we open if you are a company of at least 15 adults and you get to choose which of our menus you prefer. If you are a smaller group you can still get in touch, if you are lucky you can visit us when we are entertaining another group.
+358 40 510 8124
info@lindskok.fi
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Öjskogsparken is an open-air museum with some 20 historic museum buildings. The main building, Bengtsgården, is an old 18th century farm house with a well preserved interior. Other buildings include Haga’s village store, the school house, the apothecary museum, the green house museum and other functional buildings, a drying house, a windmill and minor log-cabins. In the summer there is a guide in the park as well as many organized events. Guiding can be arranged according to agreement at other times. There is also the possibility to rent a restaurant hall.
+358 45 231 5282
narpeshembygd@gmail.com
