The kiosks that sell many kinds of sausages and similar snacks are Finland's contribution to world fast-food culture. They do their briskest trade in the small hours, when the restaurants have closed and the revellers still on the streets hanker for something savoury. Many of the kiosks are inconspicuous little glass boxes during the day, but at night become lively centres of attraction, wafting aromas that pull the peckish from afar. Mouth watering in the queue Kiosks are generally small and the snacks are sold through a hatch.
Patrons eat their snacks either standing around or on their way home.
Some congregate on park benches for a late-night picnic. An international comparative study once found that the food served up at traditional Finnish kiosks is even fattier than fast food elsewhere, but it does not seem to bother their patrons. Long queues often form at kiosks after the restaurants have closed. Another popular item, called lihapiirakka is dough baked with some minced meat and rice inside. French fries and hamburgers are likewise staples of the kiosk-diner's diet.