Study Abroad Day offered flavours around the world

OSAKO, Student Union of Oulu University of Applied Sciences, arranges a day of information for degree students of Oulu UAS (Oulu) approximately once a year. The day is called Study Abroad Day. Last time it was arranged on 21.11.2006 in Oulu and on 22.11.2006 in Raahe.

On Study Abroad Day students were able to find out the possibilities of studying and doing internships outside of Finland. There were stands with info material in all the educational units of Oulu UAS and presentations of those who has been studied abroad. Presentations were held in the School of Health and Social Care.

International dinner was a tasty experience.

On study abroad day there was also International Dinner "Flavours From Around the World" in the School of Health and Social Care. The dinner was prepared by foreign and tutor students of Oulu UAS. There were students and foods from roughly 15 different countries. The international dinner was open and free of charge for everyone.

Kitchen was crowded when exchange students were making their traditional dishes.

Bublanina ("bubble cake")

Country of origin: Czech Republic

Ingredients:

2 cups of medium-coarse flour
(in Finnish puolikarkea)
1 cup of castor sugar
(in Finnish sirotesokeri)
1 cup of lukewarm milk
2 eggs
½ cup of oil
1 tablespoon (Tbs) of backing powder
cca 250 g of fruits (can be plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, red or black currant, cranberries)

Instructions:
First put the flour in the bowl and mix it up with sugar, milk, eggs and finally the oil. As a last step add tablespoon of backing powder and mix properly. Cut the fruits into smaller peaces if needed and add it to ready-made dought. Pour the dought in a backing pit with higher lit, that has been buttered and sprinkled inside with flour before (or you could possibly use the backing paper as well). Heat up the oven to 180°C and bake Bublanina for about 20-25 minutes. It should be gold brown on the surface when it's ready. Springle on powder sugar, cut and serve! Enjoy!

Exchange student's experiences of Finnish cuisine

Magdalena Raszková from Czech Republic has enjoyed Finnish food, although it's quite different from what she is used to eat in her home country. She's not a big fun of traditional Czech cuisine, because it's quite heavy: lots of meat served with dumplings, potatoes or rice, in a heavy-cream sauce. According to Magdalena the Finnish food is simpler, lightly spiced and less fatty compared with Czech cuisine. Magdalena thinks that sometimes the Finnish meals seem to be almost without taste, but she has got used to it.

In Oulu Magdalena has tried fried reindeer, salmon, the whole Finnish Christmas dinner (ham and casserole) and pulla and she has liked all of those foods. However there is one popular Finnish food she won't miss, sausage.

14.01.2007
Text: Hanna Kuparinen
photos: Hanna Kuparinen and Magdalena Raszková