Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Hot Pot)

North Karelia. This is the Finnish remainder of a region divided by war. Karelians displaced in the Second World War were resettled right across the country and took their cooking with them, which is how a pie from a border province ended up in every Finnish supermarket, holding an EU protected name.

Finland. Foraging here is a legal right, not a hobby. Jokamiehenoikeus, everyman's right, lets anyone walk on most land and pick berries and mushrooms regardless of who owns it, which is why lingonberries, bilberries, cloudberries and chanterelles are ordinary household food rather than expensive ingredients.

Europe. European cooking is built on the land and the seasons, wheat, butter, and cured pork in the north; olive oil, tomatoes, and seafood around the Mediterranean; preserved vegetables and hearty stews through long winters. Centuries of peasant tradition, guild craft, and royal courts refined techniques from French mother sauces to Italian fresh pasta and Central European baking. Regional identity runs remarkably deep, with a single dish often changing from one valley to the next.