Flavors · Lappeenranta

vety

Fried meat pie, split open and filled with ham and boiled egg, with mustard, ketchup and cucumber salad. With only one of the two fillings it’s called atomi. It’s the snack sold at the market square and harbour stalls in Lappeenranta.

Traditional dish from Lappeenranta, Carélia do Sul

Also known as: vedyt, atomi, atomit

Updated November 2026

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vety — Lappeenranta, Finland

The vety is a variation of the lihapiirakka, the fried meat pie sold at Finnish stalls, made with yeast dough and filled with minced meat and rice. In Lappeenranta the pie is split open and given extra fillings: ham, smoked or boiled, and slices of boiled egg. With both fillings it’s called vety, which means hydrogen. With only one of them, ham or egg, it’s called atomi, atom.

Local tourism says the pies were originally named atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb, and that they have been served in the city for more than 40 years. The market square and harbour stalls sell them all day, and in summer the harbour — by Lake Saimaa and the fortress — is particularly busy.

Toppings are the usual street-pie condiments: mustard, ketchup, chopped onion, cucumber salad and, at some stalls, butter or mayonnaise. The customer chooses the filling and sauces at the counter, and the pie is served hot to eat on the spot.

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Where it comes from

Lappeenranta , Carélia do Sul
Lappeenranta is the city of vety and atomi: the pies have been sold at the market square and harbour stalls for more than 40 years.

Ingredients

Fried meat pie (yeast dough, minced meat and rice). Smoked or boiled ham and boiled egg. Mustard, ketchup, onion and cucumber salad.

How it is eaten

Hot, eaten with the hand, bought at the market square or harbour stalls.

When it is eaten

An everyday snack, at any time of day.

Your questions

Questions about vety

What is vety in Lappeenranta?

A fried meat pie, split open and filled with ham and boiled egg, with mustard, ketchup and cucumber salad. It’s sold at the market square and harbour stalls.

What’s the difference between vety and atomi?

The vety contains both ham and egg; the atomi contains only one of the two. The names mean hydrogen and atom and, according to local tourism, come from hydrogen bomb and atomic bomb.

Where to eat vety in Lappeenranta?

At the market square stalls in the centre and the harbour square stalls by Lake Saimaa and the fortress, the latter busier in summer.

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