The Kitchen Club

sTORY #28

Familia has been fostering a sense of community through several activities and programmes throughout its 35 years history. Such activities include the Cooking Club. This unique culinary initiative has been bringing together people from diverse cultural backgrounds (along with Finns) under the same roof. Lauttasaaren Alpaja Nuoristotalo served as the backdrop for these cross-cultural exchanges. 

​Soon after its first sessions, the Kitchen Club evolved into a vibrant and dynamic hub where everyone was welcome to come and celebrate the richness of culinary traditions, have a good time, and make new friends. What distinguished Familia’s Kitchen Club apart was its ability to transcend cultural barriers through the universal language of food.

Tuula Jakowleff emphasized:

The kitchen is the heart of the home. In addition to pinata, the art club also taught papier-mache work, handmade paper, woven work, marbled and silk-dyed eggs, stick horses and so on. There they sat tightly side by side on kitchen benches. The chatter was exhilarating as recipes were exchanged, tastes were guessed at and good advice was showered down in spades.

​Children were not only welcome at the Kitchen Club but were an integral part of its charm. Sessions often involved children- for example: pasta preparation or crafting of Karelian pies. The younger members of Familia’s community were encouraged to join their parents in the joy of creating delicious dishes. The Kitchen Club became a space for cultural exchange, where experiences were shared, and friendships were fostered. 

In Tuula Jakowleff's words:

​Cooking gave them back something of their own from their own country, and the room was full of happy, laughing people all the time, excitedly talking about things like the customs of their country, their own families and their mothers' secret recipes. They were at home, you could say.

​Most recently, Familia continued with the Kitchen Club through a collaboration with Marttaliitto/ Marthaförbundet. The group was composed of 7-10 intercultural families and the host. The aim was to have fun, practice Finnish language, learn to prepare new recipes and enhance everyday skills.

​The sessions were led by a volunteer who aimed to tackle the Finnish cooking culture to make it more familiar to the participants, or dive into some other culture and find out more about it with the group. 

​The group met regularly monthly, and up until 2020 participants met at the Helsingfors svenska Marthaförening & Tapahtuma Martha-keittiössä in Jätkäsaari. The group also organized mushroom picking trips.

​For Familia, the Cooking Club, later known as the Kitchen Club, it’s not just about cooking, it’s about creating a deeper understanding and appreciation for diversity found in Familia’s community. 

​Familia's Kitchen Club stands as a shining example of how the simple act of cooking can bridge cultural gaps, connect generations, and build lasting connections.