Estonian dishes They are distinguished by an unusual combination of products. Experts note that the main part of the dishes has a slightly sour taste and the aftertaste of milk, to which a variety of, sometimes unexpected, ingredients are added, for example, peas or fish, most often herring or sprat. Among the usual dairy products on the table of local residents, you can see cottage cheese, whipped cream, yogurt, home-made cheese, which Estonians have a special name for - cheese.
Cereals are very widely used for cooking - pearl barley, barley, but Estonians practically do not use buckwheat. Like mushrooms, you almost never see them on the Estonian table. But they eat a lot of potatoes, and they use them not only on their own, but also in the form of porridges with various cereals.
As for meat, Estonians most often use pork, and they also like to cook from offal, in particular blood and liver. For frying, they mainly use pork lard or fat, but vegetable oil is almost never used anywhere. Estonians eat our favorite butter only with bread, mostly rye. Wheat rolls and loaves have found it difficult to take root in Estonia.
The assortment of national dishes includes many fish dishes. They say that Estonia is a more “maritime” country than its Baltic neighbors, so fish is used as an appetizer, first and second. Particularly popular is herring, which is pickled or added to soups.
Another feature characteristic of local cuisine is a small amount of herbs and spices. The most common spices are salt, cumin, dill, pepper and marjoram, and onions are very rarely added to dishes.
The most important dish during lunch is soup. Estonia can be classified as one of those countries whose residents love soups and actively introduce them into their diet. That's why there are a great many of them here. Soups made from meat, vegetables, and cereals can be found on the table of every Estonian. In cookbooks alone you can count more than 20 recipes for milk soups: with fish, mushrooms, even beer.
In Estonia you can try completely unusual soups, such as beer soup or bread soup. From Swedish cuisine comes blueberry dessert soup. Herring soup with potatoes, peas with pearl barley or barley with potatoes are very popular.
Many recipes are used only in Estonia and are especially pleasing to tourists who want to get to know the country and its identity. Therefore, they especially like pea soups with knuckle or cabbage soup with brisket.
Estonians are great masters in “fish” cuisine. The fish is prepared according to unique recipes. In the eastern regions, they eat more river fish, while coastal areas prefer marine species - flounder, herring, eel. Fish here is prepared in every way: it is rarely fried, but is mainly used baked, dried, salted, boiled or dried. Only in Estonia can you try milk and fish soups, fish puddings and casseroles, as well as herring cooked with sour cream.
Estonian national cuisine is very unique. It is unlikely that anywhere outside of Estonia you can try such a popular dish as “kama”, made from flour to which peas, rye, barley or oats are added, and eaten with milk or curdled milk. The Estonians will also treat their guests to their favorite “signature” mulgikapsad - Mulgi-style cabbage cooked with pearl barley and pork. And blood dumplings or blood sausage can only be tasted in Estonia .
To get a complete picture of the local cuisine, guests should definitely try cartlipors - the name given to meat baked in mashed potatoes. It is very tempting to try blood pancakes, which in Estonia are called “vere pakeogid”. Cheese gourmets will undoubtedly appreciate the taste of homemade fatty cheeses.
Traditional main courses are somewhat reminiscent of German cuisine - pea porridge, stewed rutabaga or turnips with potatoes, but Estonians cannot do without meat. Meat dishes are mainly prepared from pork, although veal and lamb are also used. Moreover, which is very interesting, meat of different varieties is not mixed.
A favorite Estonian meat delicacy is bloody dishes. The local blood and liver sausages are extremely popular among both locals and guests. Estonians also love jellied meat made from pork legs and heads; you should definitely order sulti - the Estonian version of jelly, which is made from pig, veal and lamb tails. You can often find traditional pork knuckle with sauerkraut on the table.
Among national drinks, Estonians give the palm to jelly, the most popular of which is sour oatmeal jelly. They also love milk jelly with cottage cheese and fresh cream. But no less common is bread or cranberry mousse, which is mandatory even on the school menu.
Very unusual desserts, which is why they are so popular, include interesting dishes based on bread and semolina, prepared from apples and rhubarb grounds, or sweet porridges with the addition of whipped cream.
The confectioners here also enjoy well-deserved fame. Chocolate and nut cakes, pies, and muffins created in Estonia are distinguished by an unusually delicate taste. Among the famous holiday baked goods, it is worth noting the piparkook cookies, which literally means “pepper pie.” The recipe for these delicious, spicy Christmas cookies is kept a big secret by master pastry chefs to this day. Marzipan is another culinary masterpiece of the country. According to ancient legends, one day before the holiday, a servant mixed up all the ingredients intended for baking sweet bread. This is how the famous marzipan turned out, the recipe of which no cook will share.
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Estonian cuisine: features and traditions
Estonian cuisine is noticeably different from the cuisine of other nations, and its national dishes will be unusual for anyone visiting for the first time. These are tasty and nutritious natural dishes, not particularly refined or varied. The basis of Estonian cuisine is simple, hearty meat dishes, as well as fish, vegetables and bread. Of all the known cooking methods, boiling is the most common here. Vegetables, meat and other products are fried extremely rarely.
The formation of Estonian cuisine was significantly influenced by the culinary traditions of the Scandinavian countries, as well as German and Russian cuisine, but despite this it has retained its originality.
National cuisine and its traditions
Estonian dishes are distinguished by an unusual combination of products. Experts note that the main part of the dishes has a slightly sour taste and the aftertaste of milk, to which a variety of, sometimes unexpected, ingredients are added, for example, peas or fish, most often herring or sprat. Common dairy products on the table of local residents include cottage cheese, whipped cream, yogurt, and homemade cheese, which Estonians have a special name for – cheese.
Cereals are widely used for cooking - pearl barley, barley, but Estonians practically do not use buckwheat. Like mushrooms, you almost never see them on the Estonian table. But they eat a lot of potatoes, and they use them not only on their own, but also in the form of porridges with various cereals.
Any traditional national cuisine can serve as a reflection of the character of the people who created it and the history of the country. There will be no exception Estonian cuisine. Its basic principles are simplicity, satiety and availability of ingredients. The fact that everything is prepared from natural products need not be mentioned. This is typical for the national dishes of northern countries with their climate and not a very diverse range of products.
At the same time, the traditional menu of Estonian residents cannot be called poor - it has everything necessary to maintain strength, and it complies with the strictest standards of healthy nutrition.
Historically, the basis of the diet of most Estonians was: fish, meat, cereals, dairy products, and vegetables. The lifestyle of fishermen and peasants did not indulge in excess free time for preparing complex, gourmet dishes; preference was given to simplicity. And the influence of neighbors - German and Swedish cuisine, supported these traditions.
During the Soviet era, the influence of Russian cuisine, as well as the traditions of the peoples of the Caucasus and the Central Asian republics, became noticeable. But even the emergence of new recipes could not change attitudes towards spices - they are almost never used. In addition to salt and a small amount of pepper, dill (for herring dishes), marjoram (for blood sausages), and caraway seeds (just a little for cottage cheese and cookies) are added to some dishes. For soups with meat, celery and parsley are used. Even onions are hardly used.
Traditional dishes of Estonian national cuisine
In traditional Estonian cuisine, practically nothing is fried. The ingredients are boiled in water, broth or milk. At the same time, all dishes have a unique taste, it is given by a combination of products unusual for residents of other countries and the addition of milk or sour cream.
Since ancient times, herring has been a significant part of the daily menu. Here it is prepared in different ways, but it is always delicious. You should definitely try the smoked herring, so tender and fatty. Second place is firmly occupied by the humble sprat.
Estonia bakes dozens of varieties of delicious bread. Among the most popular will be: gray “seppik”, traditional rye and barley bread, sweet and sour bread made from barley flour, honey, potato and potato-rye rolls. Bread is served with cold or hot dishes and is used as one of the ingredients in traditional recipes.
There is no need to be scared by the combination of peas and... milk in one dish. There are many such recipes in the Estonian traditional menu. “Kama” is very popular and loved. This is the name for oatmeal made from various cereals (rye, oats, barley, wheat) or mixtures thereof served with milk or curdled milk. Its history goes back hundreds of years and will continue as long as there is interest in proper healthy eating. Now there is no need to work hard grinding cereals into oatmeal in a large mortar - ready-made mixtures can be purchased at the store.
On weekdays, and more often on holidays, blood and liver sausages, pork liver pates, and meatballs appeared on the table. A hearty potato salad was served, accompanied by herring in sour cream and stuffed eggs. Estonians loved oatmeal jelly - kaerakile, cooked with the addition of milk. All this is prepared in modern Estonia.
A large place in nutrition is given to dairy products. In addition to milk, yogurt, and curdled milk, people here love milk porridges and milk soups. There are more than twenty recipes for such soups. Among them are milk-mushroom, milk-fish, milk-egg and milk-vegetable. Interestingly, the ingredients are first boiled almost until cooked in water and milk is added shortly before the end of cooking. Then quickly bring to a boil and turn off.
Estonians are especially partial to soups and know how to prepare delicious soups from herring, pearl barley and peas. Often cereals and vegetables are combined in one recipe. But almost no meat soups are prepared here, except perhaps from offal. The reason is simple - in the past, meat was not cheap, and they tried to save it for main courses. You should definitely try blueberry, bread and beer sweet soups - their names sound exotic, but the taste is pleasant and memorable for a long time.
The traditional methods of cooking meat, usually pork, are interesting. For boiling and baking meat, thick-walled dishes are used, in which the meat should simmer, becoming especially tender and retaining its taste and nutrients. There are recipes with meat baked in the oven. They use both fresh meat and smoked or corned beef.
Sült - jellied meat in Estonia is prepared without mixing pork heads with veal heads. But the result is definitely worth trying. The most popular side dish is potatoes. It is served with fish and any meat. There are many independent dishes where the main ingredient is potatoes.
Here they traditionally serve gravy with hot dishes, it is called “kastmed”. The basis for most gravies is sour cream and milk. They are not hot or spicy and are suitable even for children.
Estonian desserts seem unusual - they are made from rye bread, semolina, milk and honey. If you want to try to stick to the traditional menu, then for breakfast you will be served some kind of non-sweet milk porridge, sandwiches (rye bread, butter, salted or smoked herring). Croutons are prepared by frying bread in butter. Tomato sauce, eggs, cheese or jam are usually added to them.
For lunch you can order one of the many types of soup and a second one. Among the second courses, you can try several of the most common ones: “Mulgikapsas” - a stew combining sauerkraut, pearl barley and pork. Porridge made from mashed potatoes mixed with pearl barley - “mulgipuder”, served as a side dish, sometimes as an independent dish. If you want something exotic, then opt for Kaalikakruubipuder porridge made from boiled rutabaga or Kapsapunder cabbage porridge. The combination of buckwheat and peas is called "Hernetatrapuder".
Many people like kartulipõrsad, where juicy baked pork is hidden under a layer of mashed potatoes. This dish is shaped like a pig. And how amazingly local chefs cook pork knuckle with sauerkraut! But pork ribs and ears should not be ignored. You can take peas with smoked pork with them.
“Vere pakeogid”, aka pancakes with blood, despite their scary name, turn out to be very tasty. Dumplings made from barley are accompanied by a generous portion of sour cream sauce or, more often, milk sauce.
You can’t help but try smoked trout - “Suitsukala” or spicy-salted sprat and, of course, herring - fried, stewed, baked in rye dough - kalapirukad, smoked or salted. There is always a choice of fish dishes on the menu.
Homemade cheeses, fatty, hard, soft, are another source of pride for Estonians. Tourists are happy to take home neat wheels of cheese.
Desserts and baked goods
No meal is complete without a good dessert, and Estonians agree with this. Cinnamon rolls and various shortbread cookies can be eaten in any country, but berry soup from many varieties of berries is prepared this way only in Estonia. Just like a dessert made from stale rye bread, pre-soaked, with whipped cream, sugar and raisins. It is served in small bowls, garnished with berries or chocolate. For the Christmas holidays, they always bake "piparkook" - special cookies with cinnamon and pepper. Mousse made from semolina and fruit juices will appeal to those who have a sweet tooth.
Only in Estonia do they make onion jam with honey. Although in modern cooking honey is often replaced with sugar.
Locally produced sweets are no less original; in addition to the usual nut fillings, you can buy varieties with liqueurs, coffee and even mint. And, of course, marzipan. It is sold in the form of bars, candies or cute figures.
Beverages
Traditional jelly has still not been able to supplant drinks brought from outside. They love good coffee, kvass and fruit drinks here.
Estonian brewers have a good reputation and beer can be tasted in any of the regions - each brews its own variety according to ancient recipes. For lovers of dark varieties, we can recommend “Saare”. For those who prefer light ones - “Saku”.
Honey beer stands apart; it is brewed in the same way as hundreds of years ago, adding natural honey. Homemade beer with juniper is no less old; its taste may seem too unusual.
But almost everyone likes mulled wine “hoegwein”. They even take it with them as a tasty and healthy souvenir.
In addition to the famous Vana Tallinn liqueur, strong with a distinct taste of rum and the color of good coffee, they also produce equally strong Kannu Kukk (raspberry with the addition of caraway).
Where to try Estonian cuisine in Tallinn
Those who come to Estonia at the invitation of friends will definitely be offered to try traditional food. But what about other lovers of national cuisine? They, too, will not be disappointed if they go to Tallinn to any of the restaurants and cafes listed below, whose specialization is national Estonian cuisine.
MEKK No wonder it is recognized as one of the best restaurants in the country. Only environmentally friendly products come into his kitchen, and the chefs follow all national traditions. Bread and pastries are baked on site. There are seasonal changes in the menu - in the summer and autumn months there are more vegetables and fruits, in the winter - meat and fish. Chefs are especially successful with pork in lingonberry sauce.
You can visit it at: Suur-Karja, 17/19.
Olematu Rüütel (or "Nonexistent Knight") can be recommended to connoisseurs of national color. Here visitors will be offered a variety of national Estonian dishes, from pearl barley soup and smoked sausages to real fresh liver pate with cognac. The signature dish is "The Weakness of Mrs. Margaretha."
The establishment is located at: Kiriku põik, 4A.
If you find yourself in Tallinn near the Town Hall Square, then in search of unusual experiences you can look at Viru 2, in Peppersack. The establishment specializes in Estonian cuisine from the Middle Ages. You won't be able to taste blood sausages like this anywhere else.
For sweets you can go to Maiasmokk. This cafe is located at: Pikk 16 has existed since 1864, and all this time it has been famous for its delicious desserts and various pastries. In addition, the assortment includes raspberry liqueur Kannu Kukk and “Old Tallinn” - Vana Tallinn Cream, as well as several varieties of high-quality Estonian chocolate.
We can only hope that in addition to the pleasant impressions of staying in this small but amazingly beautiful country with the unique atmosphere of good old Europe, memories of delicious and unusual dishes of Estonian cuisine will be added.
Estonia belongs to the minority of European countries where the good old traditions are still alive. Grandmother's recipes, hearty home-cooked meals and natural products – Estonian cuisine consists of “peasant” treats. The dishes are not very refined and varied, but tasty and nutritious. The specific features of Estonian cuisine finally took shape by the middle of the 19th century, not without the influence of Scandinavian countries and Germany.
A distinctive feature of Estonian cuisine is a small amount of spices and seasonings - this is due to the territorial and climatic characteristics of the country, as well as high prices for spices. Salt, pepper, cumin, occasionally cinnamon and cardamom – Estonians prefer the natural taste of their products. The basis of the daily diet of local residents is black rye bread, cereals, potatoes, pork, liver and mushrooms with berries. Fermented milk products are widely used - they are used to make desserts, sauces and soups. Sometimes you can find unusual combinations like peas or fish in milk.
There are many establishments where you can try national cuisine. Most are located in the Old Town in close proximity to the Town Hall Square. In them you will taste echoes of the Middle Ages: sliced venison or elk meat, bear or boar meat stew, stewed hare, quail with berry sauce or wild goose baked in clay. A simple lunch in a street cafe will cost 7–10 euros, and the average bill for dinner for two in a good restaurant is 30 euros.
For forest products and homemade cheeses, head to Setomaa, where festivals are held in honor of favorite products from the village menu. Lakeside villages are famous for their aromatic hot-smoked fish, and seaside resorts offer shrimp, trout and herring soups. There is an onion and fish restaurant at the Kolkya Museum of Russian Old Believers, where you can taste original dishes made from freshwater fish caught in Lake Peipsi.
First meal
Estonians are passionate about soups. Meat, dairy, cereal and vegetable stews occupy an important place in the diet. Barley with potatoes, bread, pearl barley with peas, even beer and blueberry - the choice is huge. You can find up to 20 recipes for milk soups in cookbooks! Tourists love the creamy soup with beans and smoked pork ribs in a toasted bread pot, and the locals themselves cannot live without herring broth. Restaurants serve pea soup with knuckle or cabbage soup with brisket - fatty and rich.
Second courses
Estonian cuisine is considered more “fishy” than its Baltic neighbors. Residents of the eastern regions eat river fish, and in coastal areas they prefer flounder, herring and eel. Estonia has preserved a huge number of unique recipes for cooking fish. It is rarely fried, but is used mainly in baked, dried, pickled, boiled or dried form. And only in this country can you try milk and fish soups, fish puddings and casseroles, as well as herring cooked with sour cream. Tallinn has its own edible symbol - sprat in a spicy marinade.
The most common meat on the table is pork. Liver, jellied pork legs and whole heads, and the traditional dish is mulgikapsad, braised suckling pig with pearl barley and sauerkraut. Or cartlipors - meat baked in puree, which is often designed in the form of funny pigs with olive eyes and a snout of carrots. Many restaurants serve tail sult - jellied meat, which for a long time was exclusively a “wedding” treat. Occasionally you can find veal or lamb on the menu, and, notably, different types of meat are not mixed. A favorite Estonian meat delicacy is rare dishes. It is tempting to try vere pakeogid - pancakes with blood and sinicha, as well as liver, dumplings and sausages, especially vereverst with barley and chopped bacon.
Cheese lovers will be delighted with the fatty homemade “cheese”, as the Estonians themselves call it. In the southern regions you can find hard cheeses with honey, poppy seeds and jam.
As for baked goods, Estonians themselves recommend trying pyrukada - small pies with rice, stewed vegetables or minced meat.
Dessert
Estonian housewives have long been ahead of the rest in the art of baking - desserts in the country are distinguished by their amazing taste and outstanding craftsmanship. All kinds of cookies, muffins and buns will please any sweet tooth. It is worth paying attention to sweet soups. Bread, for example, is made from stale bread soaked in water with the addition of raisins and whipped cream. Berry stews come from neighboring Scandinavia and are mixed with lots of honey and nuts.
A favorite Christmas dessert is piparkook cookies with aromatic cinnamon and black pepper. In any cafe you can order a delicious rhubarb pie and traditional jelly with cream and milk.
Since Soviet times, chocolates from the Kalev factory have been in demand - a couple of elegant packages of such sweets will be a wonderful gift from Estonia. There are a variety of fillings: mint, coffee, liqueur and nuts.
Balbiino is considered the best ice cream producer - there is even an interactive museum dedicated to the summer dessert in Tallinn. Estonian berry jams are also good, especially homemade ones. But the main thing that a true sweet tooth should try in Estonia is marzipan. According to legend, it was invented in Tallinn in the famous pharmacy on Town Hall Square. A mixture of nuts and sugar makes amazing candies and figurines of funny characters, which you then hate to eat.
Outside the country, it is almost impossible to find “kama” - oatmeal made from flour, to which milk, curdled milk, as well as seeds of barley, oats and rye are added. It is eaten with jam and cream.
Beverages
Estonians willingly drink a variety of berry jelly, as well as drinks based on milk and curdled milk, compotes, and kvass. Among stronger drinks, it is worth noting the national beer, which is also known outside the country. The most popular varieties are “Saku” (light) and “Saare” (dark). There is also the original “Viru” with juniper extract, and red with berry juice. In Tartu you can visit the A le Coq beer museum – followed by a tasting, of course. Some farms brew original honey beer according to medieval recipes. Pubs serve signature ale with a signature snack - smoked pig ears in garlic sauce.
The best noble wines produced in Estonia are stored in the wine cellars of Põltsamaa Castle. In the chilly autumn and winter, it’s good to warm up with höegwein, the local mulled wine. Each bar offers its own recipe for a fragrant warming drink - you can’t try them all!
Well, Soviet citizens probably fell in love with the Baltics from the first sip of the rum liqueur “Old Tallinn” (Vana Tallinn) or the strong tincture Kännu Kukk with caraway seeds and juniper berries.
– a country of medieval cities, ancient castles and monasteries. Russian tourists also relax on the shores of the Baltic Sea, in places where you can see wooden windmills and get lost in juniper thickets.
The Estonian menu consists mainly of simple and hearty fish dishes (herring is especially popular), as well as dishes based on pork, cereals, potatoes, vegetables and baked goods. Meat by-products and a variety of dairy dishes are widely used here; for example, there are more than 20 recipes for milk soups.
Estonians have a special attitude towards soups; they are prepared and consumed willingly: with cereals, peas, fish, bread, berry and even beer soup. The meat for the broth is boiled in one piece, adding potatoes and other vegetables, cereals or pasta. Smoked pork is often added to bean and pea soups.
Estonians also love porridge, and not always from cereals, but from rutabaga, cabbage, and peas, for example. It should be noted that people here prefer boiled or steamed food and prepare a variety of small snacks from fish and other products. The traditional Estonian “cold table” includes jellied meat, pickled herring with sour cream, Rosolie and potato salads, liver pate, pickled pumpkin and cucumbers, rolls stuffed with ham, meatballs with mayonnaise and stuffed eggs.
Spices and seasonings are used sparingly in Estonia; rutabaga is often added when cooking and fresh herbs are respected, and “kastmed” - milk and sour cream gravy - is served with almost every dish.
Among the unusual dishes one can note “kama” - a mixture of flour made from fried grains of rye, peas and barley, doused with milk or curdled milk. Estonians enjoy eating this kind of “peasant food” at home.
Top 10 Estonian dishes
This dish is made from pork and cabbage. The meat is cut into pieces, salted and placed in a cauldron, layered with cabbage. All this is sprinkled with pearl barley, filled with water and boiled. It turns out to be a thick, hearty soup. Served with boiled potatoes. Estonians love to eat mulgicapsad in winter, when it’s cold. It is recommended to start tasting the Estonian menu with this dish, since there is nothing exotic in it for a guest of the country.
Milk-fish soup
Despite the seemingly incompatible products, gourmets consider this soup very tasty. When cooked, each ingredient receives a new property from milk: fish fillet - delicate taste and texture, potatoes - friability, and onions - softness. When serving, the soup is sprinkled with herbs: a mixture of fresh dill and parsley, so the plate looks very attractive.
A dish typical of the Baltic states. Carefully pour a mixture of beaten eggs, beer and sugar into the hot milk, warm it up, stirring constantly. Add diced white bread to the resulting soup and serve chilled.
Tuhlinott
Tukhlinott is prepared from the type of meat that is available. Cut into small pieces, add potato cubes of the same size and onions and cook over low heat. Spices include marjoram and ground black pepper. The end result is a stew-like dish.
Killatuhlid
This dish is prepared from lean pork. Potatoes, sour cream, and salt are added to the meat. Without spices, aromatic herbs, herbs and onions. Killatuhlid is a dish that allows you to feel the true taste of the ingredients: meat, potatoes, sour cream.
Salad "Rosolie" is a very popular salad made from beef, potatoes, beets, lightly salted herring, pickled cucumbers, onions, and apples. Dressed with mayonnaise and sour cream. The taste is reminiscent of both Olivier and herring “under a fur coat”.
Silgud pekiketmes
This is herring in sauce, where the sauce comes first. It is prepared from lard, milk, onions, and spices. The sauce is boiled down and herring fillet is added to it. Be sure to sprinkle with dill.
Silgu vorm
Silgu vorm is also a fish dish, but this time with potatoes. It looks like a layered casserole of potatoes and fish of different varieties with onions. During the preparation of silguvorum, herring, fresh and smoked, herring and other types of fish are used simultaneously.
Blood sausage
The British call this dish “black pudding”. The color of the blood sausage is indeed very dark. Consumed chilled and usually in winter. Blood sausage is popularly prepared for Christmas. Eat with cranberry jam, and sometimes with butter and sour cream.
These buns with whipped cream are prepared for Maslenitsa. Baked from yeast dough. You get these balls, with whipped cream on the cut top of the head. The cut cap is placed directly on the cream and the bun is sprinkled with powder. Sometimes Estonian bakers put a spoonful of sour jam on top of the cream for contrast. Vastlakukel with cranberry jam is especially tasty.