This is perhaps my favorite food hall. Dating from 1896, the basic building is notable, the displays are lovely and suitably Nordic, and for lunch you can try a wide variety of cuisines, including excellent Mexican food, a rarity in Europe. (They told me they buy their tortillas from other Mexicans in Czechia.) From separate stalls I bought some salami and also black bread, and both were as good as any I have tried, ever.
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Many food halls are overrated. They create an illusion of plenitude, while not offering many items you actually wish to buy and consume. The Turku food hall, however, is a real winner.
Overall, Turku felt more Swedish and also more stylish than Helsinki. The Swedish name for the city — Åbo — you see all over, and one of the universities still teaches in Swedish. It is much more of a college town. That said, at population 202,000 it is slower and there is much less to do there. You can see some of Alvar Aalto’s early buildings.
I was told that 77 Mexicans live in Turku.
