Lapin Poron kuivaliha is dried reindeer meat made from whole muscle and pieces of muscle from the animals born, raised and slaughtered in the Finnish reindeer husbandry area where they graze freely on natural pastures. The fillet, topside, shoulder, back, side and belly cuts of the reindeer are salted and partly matured before being traditionally hung to air-dry outside from February to April for around three to six weeks.
In order to preserve the meat's organoleptic characteristics, it is crucial to determine the right moment for removing the meat from air-drying, for which the specific knowledge and skills are required. If left for too long, the meat becomes gray and tasteless.
Air-drying makes meat more tender and flavored. The texture of Lapin Poron kuivaliha is fine-grained, dense and has a very high protein content. It has the strong aroma of reindeer meat and a slightly salty taste. Its color varies from dark red and brown to almost black.
The meat is soft inside and separates easily when chewed. Lapin Poron kuivaliha is a high-quality product beloved both by locals and consumers outside Finland.
