Open and free food club event once a month
Science and Gastronomy Food Club is a joint event series by the Nutrition and Food Research Center of the University of Turku and the Summer University of South Ostrobothnia, organized always on the first Wednesday of the month at 17:00-19:00 (excluding Summer and Christmas breaks).
The focus is on examining food, cooking, and the enjoyment of food from scientific, cultural-historical, and gastronomic perspectives. The events are held in Finnish and are open and free to everybody.
The events are held in Finnish.
Three cities and monthly changing themes
In Turku, the club evenings are organized by the Nutrition and Food Research Center (formerly the Functional Foods Forum) and the Flavoria Research Platform. The themes of the evenings are published in advance on Anu Hopia’s Molekyyligastronomia blog and on this event page.
The club is held simultaneously in Turku, Helsinki, and Seinäjoki, with discussions between the three cities conducted via remote connection.
The evenings are quite informal in nature and always include a short theoretical introduction to the chosen theme. The best part of the evenings is the tastings and sensory evaluations related to the theme, in which all interested participants can take part. These evaluations always lead to meandering discussions about food and its various meanings as part of everyday life and celebrations. Summaries of the club evenings are published afterwards on the Molekyyligastronomia blog.
Read Anu Hopia's blog (in Finnish)
Join us in Turku, Helsinki and Seinäjoki
Sign up for the evenings in Turku and Helsinki through the links on the right / below. For Seinäjoki, please see the event page on Summer University of South Ostrobothnia’s website.
Spring 2025
5.2.2025 at 17–19 | onion
5.3.2025 at 17–19 | vegetable oils
2.4.2025 at 17–19 | quark, curdled milk, and yoghurt
Sign up for Turku
Sign up for Helsinki
7.5.2025 at 17–19 | ice cream
Where?
In Turku, the club evenings are organized in University of Turku’s Aistikattila, and in Helsinki, at the office of the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists.
AISTIKATTILA
Medisiina D Building
Kiinamyllynkatu 10
FI-20520 Turku
FINNISH ASSOCIATION OF ACADEMIC AGRONOMISTS
Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu 6 A 8, 5th floor
FI-00130 Helsinki
MORE INFORMATION:
flavoria@utu.fi
Themes and blog posts from 2024 & 2025
Past themes
Lihan sous vide -kypsennys (marraskuu 2021)
Joulumarmeladit ja hyytelöimisaineet (joulukuu 2021)
Umamiset sieniliemet (lokakuu 2021)
Science of Shaken or Stirred (huhtikuu 2022)
Veden vaikutus kahvin makuun (toukokuu 2022)
Kasviproteiinit (syyskuu 2022)
Paluu juurille – Alkuviljojen historia (marraskuu 2022)
History of the club
In 2009, Professor Anu Hopia from the University of Turku started the Science and Gastronomy Food Club in Helsinki together with chef and author Tatu Lehtovaara.
In the fall of 2021, the club events started also in Turku. Tatu moved on to other tasks, so the Hotel and Restaurant Museum, led by Anni Pelkonen, became the new partner, enriching the events with their cultural-historical expertise. The renewed club was named the Science and Gastronomy Food Club.
In the fall of 2023, the Summer University of South Ostrobothnia joined the team, so now the club events can also be attended in Seinäjoki. In 2025, the club events in Helsinki will be held at the premises of the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists instead of the Hotel and Restaurant Museum.
