Finnish Cheese Attraction in Jalasjärvi on our drive back to Tampere. -Buy fresh cheeses below store price.

Finnish cheese attraction in Jalasjärvi on our drive back to Tampere. -buy fresh cheeses here at discount prices.

Santa Clause's offical cheese attraction. --this is it!

Located also at the cheese factory is an inviting cafe/restaurant with an open fireplace. If you are driving from Tampere to Seinäjoki then stop to shop for exquisite Finnish designed products and watch how Finnish cheese is made.

The Juustoportti Cheese shop/factory Finnish cheese attraction in Jalasjärvi

On our drive back from Seinäjoki to Tampere, the three of us try out some fresh cheeses. Well aware that we can get more for our money, we purchase a good supply at the Juustoportti rest-stop with their discounted prices.

So we'll buy a handful of gourmet cheeses for our new years eve party.

Let's go inside to see...

--As a prelude to buying locally made cheese at this Finnish cheese attraction, we decide to first browse around a bit...

...at the Pentik shop

6 antler Pentik designed reindeer

"Got to have that Reindeer for Christmas honey"!!. --With 6 antler candle stick-holders.

While on the theme of Finnish Reindeer... Here is pillow by Pentik

...A perfect gift idea from Finland.

A Reindeer pillow

Hmm? ...useful wood product for grinding up seasonings or herbs.

Pentik mortar and pestle

Walls with shelves full of Finnish Pentik designed, bowls, plates, napkins, glass-ware, lamps display everything you need for your kitchen.

Pentik design

Seconds 2 Laatua --A veeeery important Finnish phrase to remember while shopping in Finland. Of course, if you buy something that is 2 laatua and for some reason you want to return it. Sorry! No go.

Nicely designed ceramics

...at the Marimekko shop

Marimekko design

Aura is pointing to the legendary popular money-change or coin purses that Marimekko is well know for producing.

Looking for classy Marimekko Finnish designer hand-bag's? Here's where you'll find one.

Finnish designed hand bags

Now we'll say 'good-bye' to bag shopping and 'Hello' to Food shopping!

Something is smelling cheezy! Aura knows how to spot a deal and save money.

She points to the cheeses that are produced at this Finnish cheese attraction mini cheese factory. Yep honey, take a picture...2.95 Euros for one of those puck-sized cheese. You save over a euro per puck.

The box with the best deals!

A typical money saving tip when shopping: If you see half empty display's like the above, it does not necessarily mean they are low on stock for that product. Most likely the popular item was stocked the same day, and people bought them fast enough within the day...meaning...

...the shelver did not have enough time to restock...hence...it is a high volume product, which is in demand, the quality is probably good, and the price is even better.

...foods at Juustoportti

Reindeer meat

This canned "braised reindeer" has a picture of a reindeer with antlers...Ready to learn a new Finnish word...

...Poro =Reindeer

You see... Finnish is easy to learn!

A popular berry in Finland: cloudberry Lakka

Cloudberry jam tastes especially good on top of hot porridge.

Lakkahillo cloudberry jam on the shelves

Tip: Here is what to eat those cloudberries with!

Squeaky cheese

Leipäjuusto Finnish squeaky cheese. Squeaks in the mouth when you chew it! Also sold at Juustoportti. This cheese is very mild, almost bland.

Serve it with coffee and pineapples. Put a couple pieces in a mug and pour on the coffee. Put a chunk of it on bread with dill pickles and ham on top.

Cheese production in Finland

Cheese making in Finland? See it here at the Finnish cheese attraction. Here is a picture of the cheese factory production floor at Juustoportti in Jalasjärvi.

Cheese production plant

The process of making Finnish cheese.

• Milk is collected locally, pasteurized and the cream is removed
• The milk gets transformed into solid cheese mass coagulated
• Cheese mass is cut into curds. The curds settle into moulds.
• The cheese is squeezed and extra whey seperates.
• The cheese is salted to produce the skin.
• The excess cream is churned into butter. Nothing goes to waste. Smart!

Finnish cheese attraction food

Try their pizza. Even when Tomi takes a second glance at this picture, he says: "I want that pizza"! It is thin crusted and appears to be stone baked. They use a type of 'Fondue' style cheese by Valio on the pizza.

Great pizza!

To Aura's delight, gluten-free pizza is also available.

One week later at our 'New Years Eve' party

Selection of cheeses from Juustoportti

A show of cheeses for our snack include:

Tilsit: a mild tasting firm cheese.

Kelarimies: buttery and salty tasting... has potential as a pizza topping.

Goat & Paprika : milder, softer with bits of paprika.

Goat Gruyére : Personally my favorite cheese at the Finnish cheese attraction.

This is a strong smelling and strong tasting cheese, resembling parmesan.

The cheese takes over 6 months for ripening in an open cellar, made from lactose free homogenized goat's milk, with a whopping fat content of 29%.

Since Goat Gruyére is my favorite...how about...

...useage? Serve it with other cheeses! Eat it with a salad or pasta dish. Tastes good with warm dishes. This cheese is medium soft, with 1.4% salt content.

Smell: a combination smell between nut, vanila and cream. Goat Gruyére won an award at the Wine Expo as being the best goat cheese.

We ate our selection of cheese's with red and green grapes, while nibbling on some 100% rye bread.

How to spot a deal when shopping for foods in Finland!

Here is an example

The upside down yellow label shows that this cheese is on sale.

Here it is -50%off normal price.

Finnish cheese attraction information

What is there to see, do, shop, and how about conveniences?

• A cheese cellar
• Cafe where lunch is served/Restaurant --a-la-carte
• A store where you can buy fresh local Finnish made cheese
• Marimekko shop
• Pentik shop
• Meeting roomsInvalid wc bathroom toilets and ones for children as well
• A24h Neste -car/truck and a Neste D-piste for your petrol needs
• The TopMan shoe store

For Navigational purposes here is the address:

Keisarintie 145

61710 Pentinmäki

Open each day from 7 am to 10 pm

Sundays from 8 am to 10 pm

Finnish cheese attraction summer opening hours:

Daily from 7 am to 11 pm

Sundays from 8 am to 11 pm

Phoning from within Finland. 06-456 6900

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