A distinctive feature of Estonian cuisine is the small
amount of spices and seasonings. The most common seasonings in Estonia are
salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
Most dishes are cooked using food processing methods such as
boiling in broth or other liquids.
Frying vegetables, meat and other products is used quite
rarely in Estonian cuisine.
The main products used in the national cuisine are pork,
fish (mainly herring), various vegetables and black bread.
Estonian dishes are characterized by a combination of
unusual products and a special sour taste.
Examples of traditional Estonian food are a variety of
dishes made of milk and peas.
One of the most popular and widespread drinks in Estonia is
kisel made of oat flakes with milk.
Kama, the flour porridge, is a very popular dish that
Estonians still eat today. Barley, oat and rye seeds are added to the porridge,
as well as milk and sour milk.
Traditional Estonian dishes, still common today, are blood
sausages, meatballs, herring with sour cream, stuffed eggs, potato salad and
liver pate.
It is hard to imagine the Estonian table without dairy
products.
Milk, sour milk, milk porridge and yogurt are constantly
present in the diet of Estonians. Milk soups are especially popular in Estonian
cuisine.
More than 20 different recipes for milk soups can be found
in cookbooks. In general, soups occupy a special place in Estonian gastronomy!
Meat, vegetable, dairy and cereal soups are part of the diet
of almost every Estonian.
The most popular soups are barley soup with potatoes, bread
soup, herring soup with potatoes, and soup made of pearl and peas.
You can also try such exotic dishes as beer soup or
blueberry soup. The most common fish products on Estonian tables are herring
and sprat. As for meat, locals prefer pork.
Liver and blood sausages are very common. Meat is usually
boiled in special dishes with a thick wall or baked in the oven.
Estonians are very fond of pigs' feet and heads. The main
side dish for meat and fish is potatoes. Almost every hot national dish is
prepared with a special gravy "kastmed".
Most often gravy is made on the basis of milk and sour
cream. In Estonia you can also try very interesting and unusual desserts based
on semolina and bread.
Despite the simplicity of most dishes, Estonian cuisine
causes many visitors to be surprised by the unusual combination of products and
the composition of the traditional menu.
The breakfast of herring
A typical Estonian breakfast, in addition to a variety of
porridge on milk, which usually has a salty taste, may include sandwiches with
butter and herring.
Breakfast is also often served with toast fried in butter
and toppings such as eggs, tomato sauce, beans, cheese, and jam. The most
important dish in Estonia during lunch is soup.
Second courses are very often reminiscent of traditional
German cuisine.
The sausage lunch
The lunch menu often includes blood sausages, stewed
sauerkraut, pork knuckle and buckwheat porridge. For dinner Estonians prefer
fish and meat dishes. Finally, the traditional dessert on the Estonian table is
sweet soup.
What to try in Estonia
To get an idea of Estonian cuisine, tourists should definitely
try the following national dishes:
Mulgikapsas – the dish is a stew of pork, barley (or pearl
groats) and sauerkraut;
Mulgipuder – a porridge of pearl groats and mashed potatoes;
Kartulipors – it is meat baked in mashed potatoes;
Vere pakyoogid – pancakes with blood; Galushki made of
barley flour;
Suitsukala – smoked trout;
Tallinn sprats – spicy salted sprat, especially popular
among locals. Cheese gourmets should definitely try Estonia's delicious fatty
homemade cheeses.
Also popular in Estonia are pork knuckle, potato dishes,
pickles, sweet and sour cabbage, fried herring, and various rutabaga and potato
porridges.
Photo credit - Pixabay.com
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