Estonian Traditional Food

Triin TruuväärtHelin Tamm

Cuisine background

Estonian cuisine has been influenced over the centuries by the traditions of more powerful neighbours.

Estonians were for the most part country folk before the last century, and since food was scarce, they had to be inventive in preserving and stretching what little meat they had on hand.

Boiled pork in jelly (Sült)

The jelly is made by boiling the pork bones, sometimes hooves and heads. It's often made in large batches, so many Estonian families have stories of jars and jars of solidifying sült all over the house.

Black pudding (Verivorst)

Blood and barley sausage, similar to what the English diplomatically call 'black pudding' due to its colour. In Estonia, this is traditional Christmas food, and is served with a red, berry jam.

Sauerkraut stew (Mulgikapsad)

Sauerkraut stew with pork, served with boiled potatoes. It is stewed with pearle barley and meat.

Unleavened barley bread (Karask)

One of our desert items was this cake-like barley bread. This one, at least, didn't have blood or tongues in the mix.

Kama

There's really no equivalent in most other traditions. Basically it's a thick desert drink made with sour milk (keefir), and a mixture of ground grains - rye, oat barley, and pea flour.

Root Beer (Kali)

Besides the wine, the one packaged food we had was the very Estonian, non-alcoholic beverage called Kali. Referred to as "the Estonian Coca-Cola," Kali is a kind of unfermented beer. It's sweet and has a very light fizz to it.