Estonian cuisine. Peculiarities. National Estonian cuisine Dishes of Estonian cuisine

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 soup 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.

Estonian cuisine to this day has retained unchanged those features that it acquired in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its formation was influenced by Russian, German, and Scandinavian cuisines. Estonians are characterized by the use of simple products and simple cooking techniques - this is the uniqueness of Estonian cuisine.

The most used products are fish, milk and fermented milk (cottage cheese, cream); pork is popular among the meats; there are also many recipes with meat by-products. It is noteworthy that in traditional Estonian cuisine there are no dishes with buckwheat. Mushrooms are very rarely used. Among the vegetables most often mentioned in recipes are potatoes, rutabaga, peas, and cabbage. Estonian cuisine is characterized by the presence of milk and potatoes in the vast majority of dishes, and in the most unusual combinations with other ingredients.

Of the cooking methods, Estonians prefer boiling. Vegetables, fish and meat are boiled. There are also fried dishes, but there are few of them, and most often they are borrowed from the cuisines of other nations. Pre-frying foods before cooking is very rarely used. The unique taste of boiled dishes is achieved by using not only water for cooking, but also kvass, milk and milk-egg mixtures. The cooking temperature and the sequence of boiling certain products are very strictly observed. Estonians hardly use spices, only sometimes parsley or dill are used, but they prepare delicious milk-based sauces that accompany almost all Estonian dishes.

"Estonian cuisine" - the best recipes

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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.

Estonian cuisine has always been considered nutritious, tasty and natural. However, Estonian cuisine has never been distinguished by greater variety and sophistication of dishes. The basis of national Estonian cuisine is simple hearty dishes from meat, fish, bread and vegetables. Many Estonian dishes resemble simple “peasant” treats.

National cuisines had a great influence on the formation of culinary traditions in Estonia Sweden and Germany. During Soviet times, Estonian gastronomic traditions were influenced by Russian, Caucasian and Central Asian cuisine.

Traditions of Estonian national cuisine

A distinctive feature of Estonian cuisine is small amount of spices and seasonings. The most common seasonings in Estonia are salt, pepper, cumin and marjoram. When preparing most dishes, food processing methods such as cooking in broth or other liquid are used. 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.

The local zoo is rightfully considered one of the attractions of the Estonian capital. Thanks, you can watch animals from your home. The link is available in our article.

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Estonian dishes are distinguished by a combination of unusual products and a special sour taste. An example of traditional Estonian food is a variety of milk and pea dishes. One of the most popular and widespread drinks in Estonia is oatmeal jelly with milk.

A very popular dish that Estonians eat to this day is “kama” - oatmeal made from flour. Seeds of barley, oats and rye, as well as milk and curdled milk are added to oatmeal.

Traditional Estonian dishes, still common today, are blood sausages, meatballs, herring with sour cream, deviled eggs, potato salad and liver pate.

It’s hard to imagine an Estonian table without dairy products.

The Estonian diet constantly includes milk, curdled milk, milk porridges and yoghurts.

Milk soups are especially popular in Estonian cuisine. In cookbooks you can find more than 20 different recipes for milk soups.

In general, soups occupy a special place in Estonian gastronomy. Meat, vegetable, dairy and cereal soups are included in the diet of almost every Estonian. Very popular are barley soup with potatoes, bread soup, herring soup with potatoes, barley soup with peas. You can also try such exotic dishes as beer 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 a special container with a thick wall or baked in the oven. Estonians are very fond of jellied pork legs and heads. The main side dish for meat and fish is potatoes.

Almost every hot national dish is accompanied by a special “kastmed” gravy. Most often, gravies are made based on milk and sour cream.

In Estonia you can also try very interesting and unusual desserts based on semolina and bread.

Features of modern national cuisine of Estonia

Despite the simplicity of most dishes, Estonian cuisine surprises many Russians unusual combination of products and the composition of the traditional menu.

A typical Estonian breakfast, in addition to a variety of porridges with milk, which usually have a salty taste, may include sandwiches with butter and herring. For breakfast, croutons fried in butter with additives - eggs, tomato sauce, beans, cheese, jam - are also often served.

The most important dish in Estonia during lunch is soup.

Main courses very often resemble traditional German cuisine.

The lunch menu often includes blood sausages, stewed sauerkraut, pork knuckle and buckwheat porridge.

For dinner, Estonians prefer fish and meat dishes. And 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 barley) and sauerkraut;
• Mulgipuder - porridge made from pearl barley and mashed potatoes;
• Kartulipors is meat baked in mashed potatoes;
• Vere pakeogid - pancakes with blood;
• Dumplings made from barley flour;
• Suitsukala - smoked trout;
• Tallinn sprats are sprat spicy salting, which is especially popular among local residents.

Cheese gourmets should definitely try the delicious homemade fatty cheeses in Estonia.

In addition, pork knuckle, potato dishes, pickles, sweet and sour cabbage, fried herring, and various rutabaga and potato porridges are popular in Estonia.

National Estonian desserts

Desserts in Estonia, as already mentioned, are distinguished by their original taste and unconventional combination of products.

In addition to the usual cinnamon rolls, shortbread cookies and berry jams, sweet soups stand out among Estonian desserts, which are offered in a wide variety of variations.

One of the most famous desserts is bread soup, which is prepared from stale bread soaked in water, with the addition of raisins and whipped cream.

No less popular among local residents and berry soup, which is brewed from a variety of berries with the addition of honey and nuts.

Tourists visiting Estonia should also try Estonians’ favorite Christmas cookies – piparkook. Its distinctive feature is a large amount of cinnamon.

The original Estonian sweets, filled with mint, nuts, coffee or liqueur, deserve special attention. In addition, lovers of sweet desserts can try whipped semolina mousse made from fruit juice, apple casseroles and jelly with whipped cream in Estonia.

You can try the national cuisine of neighboring Latvia in one of the restaurants in the chain. You will appreciate pork ribs and ears, peas with speck, and other delicacies!

When going on a gastro tour to Estonia, take care of obtaining a visa in advance. will help you understand the intricacies of this process.

Bad weather will not spoil the mood of a food lover, but you need to be prepared for anything: follow the link for an article about the weather in Tallinn.

National Estonian drinks

Among non-alcoholic drinks, Estonians give the palm to various jelly. In addition, fruit drinks, kvass and coffee are very common among drinks.

Estonian alcoholic drinks are well-deservedly popular outside the country. Estonians themselves consider it their national drink beer, which is cooked everywhere here. Each region of Estonia has its own traditional beer. The most popular are dark beer “Saare” and light beer “Saku”.

Another traditional invention of Estonian cuisine is considered honey beer. Homemade beer with juniper is a truly traditional Estonian drink.

“Höegwein” is also very common in Estonia - local mulled wine, which you can not only try in local cafes and bars, but also bring home as a souvenir.

While in Estonia, you should definitely try the famous Vana Tallinn liqueur(“Old Tallinn”), first released back in 1962. This is a dark brown liqueur with a rum flavor.

Vana Tallinn liqueur can be consumed both in pure form and with coffee or as part of various cocktails.

In Estonian stores, the drink is sold in three variations - with a strength of 40.45 and 50 degrees.

Another famous Estonian liqueur is raspberry Kannu Kukk. The strong red liqueur has a pleasant rich taste and aroma of caraway seeds.

Where to try national cuisine in Tallinn

The most famous places in Tallinn specializing in national Estonian cuisine are…

Restaurant MEKK

Included in the number best restaurants Estonia. The main feature of this establishment is the observance of national traditions in preparing dishes using environmentally friendly products. The restaurant's menu changes depending on the time of year.

Restaurant Olematu Rüütel (“Nonexistent Knight”)

Distinguished by its special national flavor. At this establishment you can try traditional Estonian soup with smoked sausages and barley, liver pate with cognac and other national Estonian dishes.

Peppersack Restaurant

Located near the Town Hall Square, it specializes in medieval Estonian cuisine and offers its visitors unusual entertainment.

Maiasmokk

The oldest cafe in Tallinn for those with a sweet tooth (it has been operating in this very place since 1864), which is known among tourists for its delicious baked goods and desserts. Here you can try and buy Estonian chocolate, famous Estonian liqueurs Vana Tallinn Cream and Kannu Kukk.

Estonian cuisine is famous for its simplicity and naturalness. Historically, Estonians prepared their main dishes from pork or fish, cabbage, peas and dairy products; practically no spices were used.

Estonian cuisine does not differ in great variety and sophistication, which is due to the limited range of products historically available to residents of Estonia. Estonian cuisine is based on a variety of soups and porridges made from pork and fish (herring) with the addition of barley and pearl barley and vegetables (cabbage, peas, and later potatoes).

A typical breakfast consisted of porridge (barley, barley or oatmeal), sometimes milk, honey or jam were added to the porridge, and more often pork cracklings and butter were added. Each meal was accompanied by rye bread; salted herring was also a frequent guest on the table. For lunch and dinner, cabbage, pea or bean soup was prepared in pork broth.

The festive table was decorated with blood sausage with the addition of cereals, jellied meat and pancakes made from barley flour. The obligatory dishes on the table were dishes made from milk - cottage cheese, cheese and butter. With the advent of potatoes, the list of Estonian dishes has expanded significantly.

Modern national cuisine of Estonia

The modern national cuisine of Estonia is diverse, many dishes are borrowed from other national cuisines - German (sausages), Hungarian (goulash) and Polish (bigos). Estonians still serve:

• Aspic.
• Blood sausage.
• Roast pork and sauerkraut.

For Maslenitsa, Estonians fry pancakes from different types of flour (wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal) with a variety of fillings (lingonberries, caviar, fish, caviar, cottage cheese). Estonian cuisine has expanded with desserts and salads, for example, scones with whipped cream and potato salad are extremely popular.

Various pickles are widespread in Estonian cuisine:

• Pickled tomatoes and pumpkin.
• Salted cucumbers.
• Lecho and tomato paste.

Typical products for Estonian cuisine are milk, cheese, butter and cottage cheese. Recently, yogurt has been added to this list. Dairy products are consumed by Estonians in large quantities.

What to try in Estonia

Most of the dishes worth trying in Estonia contain pork. The first place deservedly goes to the stew of pork, pearl barley and sauerkraut (mulgikapsas) - a fatty, very filling dish that must be eaten with rye bread. The next dish could be pork baked in mashed potatoes (kartulipors) - in many restaurants it is served in portions in the form of small pigs. For fish lovers, Estonian cuisine offers tender smoked trout (suitsukala).

A popular dish among tourists is kama - a mixture of boiled cereals with jam, honey and milk. An excellent dessert would be a bun with marzipan or a marzipan figurine, which can be bought in shops in the center of Tallinn.

Before a gastronomic tour to Estonia, you must take care of obtaining a visa in advance. Read how to do it yourself.

National Estonian desserts and drinks

There are two main desserts in Estonia – onion jam and pepper cookies (piparkook).

Jam was traditionally made from onions with the addition of honey, but now honey is replaced with sugar. Pepper cookies are prepared with the addition of black pepper, cinnamon and ginger, and covered with glaze patterns. These cookies are still popular among Estonians at Christmas.

National drinks include red beer and oatmeal jelly. Red beer is served in almost all traditional Estonian taverns, and the red color is achieved by adding berries. Oatmeal jelly is traditionally prepared from oats by long boiling. Added to oatmeal jelly:

• Berries.
• Milk.

Where to try

Tallinn is famous for its restaurants serving national cuisine. Among the large selection, we can highlight the most interesting and popular ones.

Restaurant MEKK

Restaurant MEKK offers traditional Estonian dishes in an original presentation. In accordance with the history of the country, the menu depends on the time of year - summer and autumn provide a variety of vegetables and fruits, autumn - berries and pickles, winter - meat and preserves.

The menu includes specialties - pork in lingonberry sauce, cake with sea buckthorn and cheese. Home-baked bread and only natural dairy products give the restaurant the status of a cozy and almost homely place.

Address: Suur-Karja 17/19, 10140 Tallinn.

Peppersack Restaurant

Peppersack Restaurant provides the opportunity to try classic Estonian cuisine at its best:

• Pork stewed with sauerkraut.
• Kamu (a mixture of cereals with jam or milk).
• Blood sausage.
• Potato salad.

Dishes are prepared from natural Estonian products without special spices - only salt and herbs are added to the dishes. The deliberately simple interior allows you to focus entirely on the food.

Address: Viru 2 / Vana turg 6, Tallinn.

Restaurant Olematu Rüütel

The Olematu Rüütel restaurant is designed in a medieval style. In the restaurant's basement, game meat is roasted over an open fire. The menu delights with romantic names, for example, “Mistress Margaretha’s Weakness,” which hides chicken fillet with cheese, fruit salad and rice. The combination of products in restaurant dishes is unexpected and unusual.

The restaurant also serves traditional dishes - salted herring, pumpkin cream soup and ice cream.

Address: Kiriku Poik 4a, Tallinn.

Cafe Maiasmokk

Cafe Maiasmokk is the oldest not only in Tallinn, but throughout Estonia. The cafe offers a wide selection of desserts and sweets:

• Tender buns with cream.
• Handmade sweets made from natural chocolate.
• A variety of pies and pastries.
• Desserts with marzipan.

In the cafe you can also visit the marzipan room, where the whole history of marzipan is shown. The cafe has preserved its historical interior.

Address: Pikk tänav 16, Kesklinna linnaosa, Tallinn.

National Estonian cuisine may not be distinguished by its sophistication and variety of products, but everyone will find a dish to their liking.

Natural products and familiar cooking methods make Estonian cuisine attractive to Russian tourists.