Huynh Nhu Karjalainen started selling at the market at the age of nine in Bạc Liêu City, Vietnam. She sold fish and shrimp with her mother when her father had a serious illness. At the age of 11, she was alone at the market. Later, she started thinking about working abroad. One possibility was Finland, where her aunt had arrived in the 80s as a boat refugee. Karjalainen came to Finland to her aunt at the age of 22 with seven dollars in her pocket.
The plan was to make money and return, but things turned out differently. Her aunt secretly placed a date ad in the Yellow Pages. Through that, she found a man from Kannonkoski whom she married and had two children with. Life on a small dairy farm was lonely.
To pass the time, her mother-in-law suggested baking, and that’s how Karjalainen learned to make rye bread, fish pies, potato flatbread, yeast bread and Karelian pasties. She began selling the products at the market, and their popularity grew. Now, the demand exceeds what the entrepreneur can bake. Alongside the home bakery, she runs a restaurant in Kannonkoski.
The biggest challenge?
Finnish language. I have learned it by speaking with my mother-in-law and customers at the market.
What do you enjoy most at work?
I love working every day. When I get tired, I go to sleep. Baking is fun, but the best part is when I head to the market to meet my customers. They are like a family to me.
The best feedback you’ve received?
Customers appreciate the friendly service we provide. I have taught my children that customer service should come from the heart; then it is a good deed.
What do you hope for the future?
Health and endurance. Life is good when I have a husband, children, and a job. I don’t need anything else.
Your favourite Vietnamese dish?
Fermented fish soup. One specialty of our bakery is a Vietnamese-flavored meat pie filled with rice noodles, meat, and boiled eggs.
The strangest Finnish food?
When I came to Finland, mämmi seemed awful when my mother-in-law offered it. I thought that such an awful-looking mess is not meant to be eaten. I can eat it, but it’s not my favourite.
Further reading: Hello Suomi! From London to Finland: Peter Steer is the cheesemonger of Rolling Cheese
Further reading: Hello Suomi! From China to Finland: Yiran Chen runs a food truck in Turku
Huynh Nhu Karjalainen
- Bakery entrepreneur, market trader
- Workplace Karjalaisen Kotileipomo, Kannonkoski
- Born in Vietnam
