Burgers overtake pizza as Finland’s most popular hangover food

Burgers—not pizza—are the most ordered hangover meal in Finland during major celebrations like New Year’s Eve and May Day, according to delivery data from food service Wolt. Yle analysed multi-year statistics from six Finnish cities, revealing consistent trends in post-party food choices.

In every city surveyed, burgers ranked as the top delivery order on weekends and holidays, followed closely by pizza. The data, covering weekend sales from 2025, showed regional variations: while wings remained popular in Tampere, they barely cracked the top ten in Helsinki. Sushi also saw a surge in the capital during New Year’s and May Day but was absent from other cities’ rankings.

Fast, familiar, and often heavy meals dominated orders. Jyväskylä’s top ten for last May Day included cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, double-cheese dishes, and kebabs with fries—reflecting a preference for greasy, carb-rich foods. Pizza, though iconic, ranked sixth, with customisable toppings proving more popular than pre-set options.

Opiskelija-asukkaat Eemeli Horttanainen, Aleksi Teinilä, Anssi Kallio, and Joakim Peltoniemi—students sharing a house in Jyväskylä—confirmed the trend. Their go-to hangover order? A mix of pizzas and kebabs. “It’s not too ordinary, which makes it special,” Teinilä explained. The group described the ritual of ordering as part of the recovery process, both physically and mentally. “No food, no hangover cure,” Teinilä added, with Kallio agreeing: “Then the day just feels worse.”

Ibrahim Sahindal, owner of Kebab House in Tampere, noted that hungover customers crave salt, spice, and generous fillings. “During holidays, up to 70% of our orders are for delivery,” he said, highlighting a spike in demand for loaded pizzas and kebabs.

Nutritionists suggest the appeal lies in quick energy and electrolyte replenishment, though they caution against relying on such meals long-term. For now, Finland’s hangover cure remains clear: burgers first, pizza second.