Venetsialaiset – the delightful end-of-season party of Finnish summer cottage and boating life

The last Saturday of August is approaching, and with it comes Venetsialaiset, one of the highlights of the Finnish summer. Venetsialaiset is celebrated with family and friends over good food and drink, beautiful lights and flickering flames. As its name suggests, the celebration originated in Venice, Italy, where festivities were held by the light of fireworks. Fireworks have also become part of the Finnish celebration.

One of the cornerstones of a successful Venetsialaiset party is undoubtedly delicious food. Typical dishes include tasty barbecue food, seasonal vegetables and seafood. Traditional Italian delicacies are also popular. An easy and tasty buffet can be put together with, for example, various antipasti, salads and cheese boards. Here at Olivo you'll find carpaccio, air-dried ham and perfect nibbling olives, among other things, to create an impressive antipasto spread. Olivo also has a superb cheese selection, including red-mould cheese, authentic gorgonzola, fresh burrata and parmesan aged for 48 months. In addition to these and many other genuine, high-quality Italian delicacies, Olivo has a wide range of quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars to give any dish the perfect finishing touch.

If you have a more traditional three-course menu in mind, an Italian celebration meal is easy to put together from Olivo's products. As a starter you could serve the carpaccio mentioned above with rocket and parmesan, finishing the salad with a good olive oil. Olivo's range includes some of Italy's finest pastas and risotto rices, so making the most of the Finnish harvest season, you could serve chanterelle pasta or porcini risotto as a main course. For dessert, a traditional Italian treat: pannacotta. At Olivo you can get wobbly pannacotta ready-made in handy pots – just turn it straight out onto the plate and finish with fresh berries and, for example, Olivo's summery ReModena raspberry balsamic.
For drinks, we recommend Italy's most popular non-alcoholic aperitivo, Crodino. Crodino can be enjoyed on its own, but it also makes delightful mocktails – a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz, for example, crowns the Italian atmosphere.

If you're going to a Venetsialaiset party as a guest, we'd also be happy to help you find a lovely, heart-warming gift to take to the cottage. In our varied, high-quality range you're sure to find a great present for the host – a gift from Olivo is guaranteed to be appreciated!