Fried Pastry · Grilli Kiosk Classic

Lihapiirakka (Finnish Meat Pie)

Photo: JIP / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

It's not baked in flaky pastry like a British meat pie — it's made from sweet, yeasted donut dough and deep-fried until golden.

Lihapiirakka is a hand-sized, deep-fried pastry made from an enriched, yeasted dough similar to what's used for donuts, filled with a mix of minced meat and cooked rice. At grilli kiosks across Finland it's split open and stuffed further with a hot dog, ham, or fried egg, then topped with ketchup, mustard, and the tangy pickled relish Bostongurka.

Why it's made this way: Because the outer dough is essentially donut dough, it fries up quickly and cheaply at street kiosks, making it a fast, filling, inexpensive option that's stayed a late-night and lunchtime staple for generations.