Bea Ojakangas Named Knight of the Order of the White Rose in Minneapolis
Established in 1919 by Finnish military commander and former president Gustaf Mannerheim, the Order of the White Rose stands as one of Finland’s highest honors. Stepping up to the podium for the ceremony, Ojakangas kept her focus simple. “I was just hoping I wouldn’t fall over,” she said. She added, It’s kind of overwhelming,
and noted that despite her accomplishments, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, Why me?
Despite publishing over 30 cookbooks—beginning with 1964’s landmark “The Finnish Cookbook”—and earning a James Beard Award, Ojakangas found herself asking why she was chosen for the distinction. The honor is rarely bestowed upon non-Finnish nationals. Ashley Lund, a Duluth native and adviser for the Section for Economic Relations at the Finnish embassy in Washington, D.C., noted that Ojakangas was an exceptional candidate who bridged Finnish cuisine and the United States over decades of dedicated work. She’s just a truly good person,
Lund said, adding, There couldn’t be a more deserving person. She’s iconic.
Other recipients include President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The nomination process required substantial coordination. Elaine Kumpula, who served as honorary consul from April 2019 to May 2026, prepared the paperwork detailing Ojakangas’ lifetime contributions to promoting Finnish culture. Kumpula explained that her role was to represent the country and help Finnish citizens by providing information to Finland about what an individual has done to support and promote the nation and its culture. While the distinction is traditionally awarded on Finnish Independence Day, organizers successfully made the case to present it during FinnFest.
Preserving Nordic Heritage Through the Kitchen
FinnFest began in 1983 and recently relaunched in Duluth after the pandemic, though it continued to relocate around the country this last year. Marianne Wargelin, president of FinnFest’s board of directors, emphasized that the festival connects Americans to the Nordic world across history, literature, dance, music, and food, stating that the festival’s purpose is educational and that it mustn’t be defined merely as an ethnic festival involving folk costumes and folk music. Kumpula said Ojakangas' work helped preserve generational recipes that might otherwise have been lost, adding that Ojakangas tells wonderful stories and that it was a delight to write the nomination letter.
