Ruokalajiin

Ruokalajiin is the illative singular form of the Finnish noun ruokalaji, which means a dish or course in a meal. Ruokalaji refers to a specific prepared item served as part of a meal, such as a soup, main course, or dessert, or more broadly to a category of dish in a menu or cookbook. The illative case marks direction toward or into something, so ruokalajiin is used to express “to the dish” or “into the dish” in sentences describing adding ingredients, mixing, or moving something into a dish.

In use, ruokalajiin appears in cooking instructions, recipe texts, and menu descriptions where an action is directed at a dish. Examples include phrases like “Lisää mausteet ruokalajiin” (Add the spices to the dish) or “Sekoita lientä ruokalajiin” (Stir the broth into the dish). The form helps specifies the target of an action within culinary context.

The plural illative of ruokalaji is ruokalajeihin, used when referring to multiple dishes or categories. This term is common in written Finnish and in everyday speech when detailing steps in recipes or discussing menu items, and it contrasts with more general references to food using other cases such as the illative for ruoka (ruokaan).