How to make your own mojakka

Lovers of soup, St. Urho’s Day, and many things Finnish gathered Saturday for the annual NorthEastern Mojakka Cook-Off.

After tasting her delicious Lihamojakka (beef) soup, the Pine Knot News asked Anja Bottila if she would share the recipe she learned from her mother, who emigrated from Finland in 1953. Bottila said she likes to share her knowledge, and has recently been teaching one of her nephews how to make a few Finnish dishes.

“As an adult, I would ask my mother to show me how to make some of my favorite Finnish dishes, including mojakka, Finnish beef stroganoff (lihakastike, which is made with potatoes and fresh cream, not noodles and sour cream), and ruisleipä (rye bread),” Bottila said.

Now for a lesson on the word “mojakka.”

Bottila asked her father — who was born in the U.S. but spoke only Finnish when he was little — about the origin of the word “mojakka.”

He didn’t know, but confirmed that “mojakka” is commonly used by Finns in the U.S. to mean “keitto” (soup).

A more-slang word for soup that the Finns in Finland use is “soppa” which Swedish word for soup. So here in America, Finns make lihamojakka (beef soup) with a clear broth or kalamojakka (fish soup) with a milk-based broth.

Mirjan Lihamojakka

Editor’s note: Bottila noted that the quantities of ingredients are “to taste” or whatever is your preference. Someone who really likes rutabaga (lanttu), for instance, may add more to their recipe than someone else.

Basic (classic) ingredients

Makes about 12 quarts of mojakka, enough for a family reunion or a cook-off in Cloquet.

Beef

Potatoes

Rutabaga

Small onion

Carrots

Salt

Whole allspice

Water (of course)

Cut beef into cubes. (Round steak works well. I used two roasts for my entry.)

Cut off the fat and put it into a cheesecloth sack (I cooked it with my soup for flavor, removing it before serving. The allspice is best included in this sack of meat fat.)

Boil the cubed meat in water until it foams. Skim off the foam as it is produced. Removing it creates a clear broth.

Add the salt, allspice (if not in cheesecloth sack) and onion, and simmer until meat is soft.

Add potatoes, rutabaga and carrots.

Continue to simmer until vegetables are cooked.

Best served with Finn Crisp and butter!

And of course, with any soup, it’s usually better the next day, so make plenty!