Traditional Estonian cuisine has substantially been based on meat and

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Un ...

es, and on

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...

in coastal and lakeside areas, but now bears influence from many other cuisines, including a variety of international foods and dishes, with a number of contributions from the traditions of nearby countries.

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n, German, Russian, Latvian,

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

and other influences have played their part. The most typical foods in Estonia have been rye bread,

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

, potatoes and dairy products. Estonian eating habits have historically been closely linked to the seasons. In terms of staples, Estonia belongs firmly to the

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

, vodka, rye bread and pork "belt" of Europe.

Cold table

The first course in traditional Estonian cuisine is based on cold dishes—a selection of pickles, meats and

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

s served with potato salad () or , an Estonian signature dish almost identical to Swedish , based on beetroot, potatoes and

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

.Estonia By Michael Spilling
/ref> Small pastries called ( in the singular)—a relative of the —filled with meat, cabbage, carrots,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

and other fillings or mixtures are also popular, and are often served with bouillion. Herring is common among other fish as a part of the Estonian cold table. Smoked or marinated eel, crayfish dishes, and imported crabs and

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

s are considered delicacies. One of Estonia's national dishes is (Baltic dwarf

), along with sprats. Flounder, perch and pike-perch are also popular.

In the 20th century, a special sandwich called ''kiluvõileib'' has become popular. This sandwich consists of a traditional rye bread open sandwich with thin layer of butter and a layer of ''vürtsikilu'' (pickled Baltic sprats) as topping. Boiled egg slices, mayonnaise and culinary herbs are optional extra toppings.

Soups

Soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...

s may be eaten before the main course, but traditionally form the main meal and most often are made of meat or chicken stock mixed with a variety of vegetables. Soups are also blended with sour cream,

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

and

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bact ...

. Pea soup is also quite popular. A unique form of Estonian soup is ("bread soup"), which is a type of sweet soup that is made of black bread and apples, normally served with sour cream or whipped cream, often seasoned with cinnamon and sugar.

Main course

Estonian rye bread sticks at restaurant 100 õlle koht

Black rye bread () accompanies almost every savory food in Estonia. Estonians continue to value their varieties of black rye-based bread.

Desserts

Specific desserts include '' kissell'', '' kohuke'' (curd snack) and '' kama''. Other common Estonian desserts are '' mannavaht'' (a cream made of

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Etym ...

and juice or fruit), (creamy curd), ''kompott'' ( compote) and ''martsipan'' ( marzipan). Rhubarb pies are also a favorite. Another popular dessert is ''kringel'' ( kringle), a sweet yeast bread often flavored with

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

Drinks

The traditionally popular drink , similar to , has become more popular again.

Mead Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining chara ...

(), the drink that was most popular in ancient times, has almost completely disappeared. Birch sap () beverages are also quite popular. Nowadays, locally brewed beer is the number one choice to accompany food; different juices or simply water being the main non-alcoholic choice. Two of Estonia's oldest breweries are

A. Le Coq A. Le Coq () is an Estonian brewery. The company was founded in 1807 by a Prussian family of the same name, who were descendants of the Huguenots who had fled France in the 17th century. The company was bought in 1997 and is currently owned by ...

, founded in 1807, and Saku Brewery, founded in 1820.

Wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...

is widely drunk, and although it is still not as popular as beer, it is becoming all the more common. There are also Estonian fruit wines made of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ances ...

s or different berries. Estonians are also proud of their vodka and other spirits, such as the herbal liqueur Vana Tallinn.

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

() is also widely drunk by children as well as adults. Other dairy products besides milk include keefir and also ("sour milk") and , which are variations on the theme of buttermilk. Dairy from Andre, Estonia is well known as part of Estonian dairy-related cuisine.

Seasons

Summer and spring

Traditionally in summer and spring, Estonians like to eat everything fresh—berries, herbs, vegetables and everything else that comes straight from the garden. Hunting and fishing were common in history. Nowadays, they have remained as popular pastimes. It is popular to barbecue in the summer.

Winter and Christmas

During the winter months, jam, preserves and pickles are brought to the table. During the past, when the economy was largely agricultural, the gathering and conserving of fruits,

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is th ...

and vegetables for winter was essential. Today, gathering and conserving is less common because almost everything can be bought from stores, but preparing food for winter is still very popular in the countryside and continues to retain its charm for many, as opposed to the commercialization of eating habits. Blood sausage (''verivorst''), roast goose (''jõuluhani''), sepik bread, head cheese (''sült''), and sauerkraut (''hapukapsas'') with oven-roasted

es have been part of the traditional Estonian menu that nowadays are mostly Christmas specialties. Also, typical Christmas treats have been

mandarin orange The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of Orange (fruit), orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of ...

s, gingerbread and lingonberry jam.

Gallery

Verivorstid.jpg, Oven cooked (blood sausage) Sülze001.jpg, ''Sült'' (head cheese) Mulgipuder.jpg, , a national dish of Estonia made with potatoes, groats, and meat File:Hernetatrapuder 002.JPG, , a pea and buckwheat porridge File:Sepik bread 2.jpg, Sepik (whole wheat bread) File:Kama.jpg, Kama, a finely milled cereal and legume flour generally eaten mixed with milk, buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir, or used for making desserts

Notes and references

External links

Karin Karner's book "Estonian Tastes And Traditions"International Wine and Food Society Estonian BranchEstonian Kitchen: 5 Local Dishes You Probably Didn’t Think of TryingTraditional Estonian Cooking e-book
{{Portal bar, Estonia, Food