Meet Chef Elias Pusa


Elias Pusa’s philosophy of food centres around beauty, excitement, and curiosity about the future. He believes that food is more than just nourishment; it is a way to connect different cultures and create a harmonious symphony that offers a diverse opportunity to experience the beauty of the world.

Elias focuses on environmental friendliness and an appreciation for plants in his cooking. He believes that through food everyone can experience the wonder of growth with all senses. Elias feels that the message conveyed by food and ingredients is powerful. The same ingredient can produce goodness for both humans and nature, which greatly inspires him. Therefore, he finds it fascinating to delve into the origins of food and explore its cultivation, harvesting, preparation, and enjoyment.

Elias works closely together with Hyötykasviyhdistys, an organisation that promotes organic hobby gardening and the diverse use of plants. Founded in 1978 by journalist Risto Nurmi, an honorary member of the association, Hyötykasviyhdistys has approximately 6,500 members. Professor Toivo Rautavaara is also one of the founding members.

Hyötykasviyhdistys promotes organic gardening by educating, advising, and publishing. The association increases the knowledge of plants by organising courses and lecture events in various parts of Finland. The association maintains plant collections at Annala Garden in Helsinki and organises events there where members, organic producers, and artisans can sell their products.

Hyötykasviyhdistys organises various events and collaborates with other organisations to promote sustainable development. The association emphasises the importance of preserving old plants by favouring historically interesting varieties and maintains a collection of old pelargoniums in the Annala Garden's orangery. The members of the association cherish plant strains that have been grown in Finland for a long time in their own gardens.