Dishes of Estonian national cuisine. Estonian cuisine. National Estonian drinks

Estonia is one of the few European countries where the traditions of peasant cuisine are still alive. Estonian cuisine favors simple but satisfying home-cooked dishes, trusted grandmother's recipes, and natural products grown in one's own garden. Traditional Estonian cuisine does not promise gastronomic sensations, but there are definitely no artificial additives among the ingredients of the dishes, and the natural taste of vegetables and fruits is not overshadowed by seasonings and spices.

Lunch in Estonian: tasty, simple and healthy

At one time, the national cuisine of Estonia was strongly influenced by the Scandinavian, German and Russian culinary traditions. The basis of the daily diet of an Estonian family consists of products from the village table: black rye bread, cereals, potatoes, pork, liver and generous gifts of the forest - mushrooms and berries, and in the art of baking and home preservation, Estonian housewives are even more ahead of the rest - they will even make jam from onions, so much so that you will lick your fingers.

Favorite dishes in Estonia are cabbage and milk soups, porridge, jellied meat, cabbage rolls, minced meat with gravy, potato casserole, curdled milk and oatmeal jelly, as well as all kinds of sausages, frankfurters and sausages. Instead of hot dogs, blood sausage stuffed with cereal is sold on the streets of Estonian cities, and those with a sweet tooth can satisfy their souls in pastry shops, enjoying milk chocolate with nuts, marzipan, kohuka curd cheeses and handmade confectionery.

Since Soviet times, chocolates from the Kalev factory have been in demand, and recently edible souvenirs made from marzipan dough, made with your own hands under the guidance of an experienced craftsman from the Tallinn Marzipan Gallery, have come into fashion.

Not long ago, the Balbiino company opened an interactive ice cream museum in the Estonian capital. The exposition is divided into thematic halls dedicated to the history of the origin of the favorite summer dessert and the technological intricacies of making the cold delicacy, and the excursion ends with a free tasting of different varieties of Balbiino ice cream.

Some dishes of Estonian cuisine are borrowed from small nationalities and national minorities. Farmers in the southern counties learned to prepare hard cheeses with honey, poppy seeds and jam from the Seto tribe, and the popular stew mulgikapsad originated from Mulgimaa.

In lakeside villages you will be generously treated to aromatic hot-smoked fish, and at seaside resorts not a single feast is complete without lightly salted herring and herring, trout and shrimp soup. Original coastal delicacies await tasters in the stylish restaurants Noa and Villa Mary in Viismi, Wicca in Laulasmaa, Ruhe in Jõelähtim, MerMer on the Juminda peninsula and OKO in Kaberneeme. At the Kolkya Museum of Russian Old Believers there is an onion and fish restaurant that serves interesting dishes from freshwater fish caught in Lake Peipsi.

The ringing echo of the Middle Ages, wandering among the castles and forts left by the crusaders, also left its mark on other excursion cities in Estonia. As a cold appetizer, you will certainly be offered game - sliced ​​venison or elk, and for the main course they can recommend a stew of bear meat or boar meat, stewed hare, quail with berry sauce or wild goose baked in clay.

Although Estonian restaurants are not yet listed in the Michelin digest, the skill of the chefs and the quality of the products used are no worse than in the star establishments of Italy and France, and prices have not yet managed to rise to European levels. A simple lunch in a street cafe will cost 7–10 EUR, and the average bill for dinner for two in a good restaurant is 30 EUR.

Recently, gourmet tours to Hiiumaa to the city of Kärdla for Cafe Day and Restaurant Week have become widespread, so the development of the restaurant business in Estonia is apparently following the right course.

Estonians themselves don’t really trust restaurateurs and prefer to eat at home, the old fashioned way. Since traditional cuisine, as we already know, is a phenomenon of peasant culture, the merits of national dishes are best revealed in the organic setting of a rural festival or a noisy fair.

Gourmets from around the world have already trodden a wide path in Setomaa, where guests are treated to farmer's cheeses and ancient dishes made from forest products. In the summer, festivals are held in honor of the favorite products of the village menu - herring, pickled cucumber, mushrooms and home-made preserves.

Culinary festivals allow us to form the most adequate idea of ​​the gastronomic preferences of the Estonian people. To the accompaniment of live music, Estonian national dishes go great, and dancing, folk entertainment and comic competitions whet the appetite and deepen the sense of taste.

You can't stop drinking beautifully

Alcoholic drinks in Estonia are worthy of a poem. For many Soviet citizens, a selfless love for the Baltic states began with a sip of Old Tallinn rum liqueur (Vana Tallinn) or a strong Kännu Kukk liqueur with caraway seeds and juniper berries. In winter, it's nice to relax after a ski run, enjoying the spicy spirit of hot mulled wine or the subtle fruity aroma of glögg.

In the summer, the baton is picked up by local beers - “Saku”, “Pulse”, “Saare” and “Viru” with juniper extract. Collection varieties of the foamy drink are collected in the A le Coq Beer Museum in Tartu, and in some farms original honey beer is brewed according to medieval recipes. Pubs usually serve their own signature ale with a signature appetizer - smoked pig ears in garlic sauce.

The most praised ales are Virmalised from Põhjala, Eesti Rukki Eil from Õllenaut and Vormsi Hele Eil from Vormsi Brewery. Fans of gastronomic experiments should definitely try red beer with berry juice, and adherents of a healthy lifestyle can expect tasty and healthy non-alcoholic drinks - fruit drinks, compotes and Estonian kali kvass.

The best Estonian wines are collected in the collections of the Põltsamaa Castle Wine Cellar and the Museum of Drinking Culture, located on the site of the pre-war Luscher&Martin distillery in Tallinn. The tasting of noble drinks takes place in the solemn atmosphere of an old-world estate, resurrecting the novels of Turgenev and Tolstoy.

Top 10 Estonian dishes you need to try

- pork baked in mashed potatoes. For fun, in some cafes the portions are designed in the form of funny pigs with olive eyes and a snout of carrots.

Vereverst - blood sausage with barley and chopped bacon.

Creamy Dunkles Soup is a first course with beans and smoked pork ribs in a toasted bread pot, topped with a thick creamy sauce.

Pirukad are small pies made from yeast dough, filled with rice, stewed vegetables or minced meat.

Mulgicapsid is sauerkraut stewed in a cast iron with pork and barley, served with a side dish of boiled or baked potatoes.

Vere pakeogid - pancakes made from barley flour stuffed with peas, buckwheat and blood.

Mulgikorp - sweet cheesecakes served with sour cream or jam.

Kama is a mixture of dried or fried grains of rye, peas and oats, filled with sour milk, jam or honey.

Piparkook - crispy cookies with black pepper, ginger and cinnamon, painted with glazed patterns.

Marzipan is a shaped cake made from grated almonds and powdered sugar, covered with icing.

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, delicious 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”. 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.

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.

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Traveling through an unfamiliar country is impossible without getting to know the local cuisine. In Estonia, cooking traditions have been significantly influenced by German, Danish, Swedish and Russian culture. Despite the fact that Estonian cuisine is not very well known in the world, it deserves attention - local food is distinguished by its original taste and a wide variety of snacks.

Historically, the main meal for the vast majority of the country's inhabitants occurred in the second half of the day. In the evening, the whole family gathered at the table: soup, a meat or fish dish, and drinks (milk, kvass, jelly) were served for dinner.

The specific features of Estonian cuisine finally took shape by the middle of the 19th century: it is based on simple preparations, hearty dishes of meat, fish, beans, cereals and potatoes. National Estonian cuisine is characterized by the use of a small amount of seasonings - due to the territorial and climatic conditions in Estonia, and also because for a long time they were very expensive. Today, the main spices in Estonian dishes are marjoram, cumin, pepper and salt, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.

It is also worth noting the widespread use of milk and fermented milk products in cooking - they are included in sauces, hot dishes, soups and desserts.

When you arrive in Tallinn or any other city in the country, you should definitely go to several local restaurants to try Estonian national dishes. A kind of “calling card” of local cuisine is a variety of recipes that include pork, potatoes, cabbage and sauces based on milk and curdled milk.

To get the most complete picture of the traditions of Estonian cuisine, you should try the following dishes:

• Mulgikapsad - stewed pork, served with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. This recipe, with slight differences, is also found in other Baltic countries and Scandinavia.
• Sult (sült) - traditional jellied meat. For a long time it was exclusively a “wedding” dish, but now it is served in many restaurants.
• “Tallinn sprats” in a spicy marinade - they are considered one of the main “edible symbols” of Tallinn, along with marzipan and hot wine with spices.
• A variety of potato and pea soups - they are usually prepared with the addition of smoked meat, which gives the dish a unique flavor.
• Hearty salads made from meat, potatoes and other vegetables. Sour cream and sauces based on it are usually used as a dressing for them.

In addition to the solid “lunch” food, you should definitely try other dishes of Estonian cuisine: cold appetizers based on cheeses or fish, dessert soups (berry, bread and honey), marzipan, pastries. While walking around Tallinn, especially in autumn and winter, street stalls with hot snacks will be a great way to warm up. They usually sell traditional Estonian dishes, the recipes of which have been adapted so that they can be prepared quickly: rye “envelopes” stuffed with fish or meat with herbs, blood sausage, hot pies “pirukad”.

You can’t ignore the variety of Estonian desserts. There are a great variety of them, and it is simply impossible to try everything in one trip, but many delicacies can be taken with you as souvenirs.

The most “important” delicacy in Estonia is marzipan. According to legend, it was invented in Tallinn: a mixture of nuts and sugar was first prepared in a pharmacy on Town Hall Square, and the city residents liked it so much that it quickly became part of the everyday and holiday menu. Now, by the way, there is a small Marzipan Museum in the pharmacy premises, where everyone will be told about the origins and recipes of this traditional Estonian dish. Marzipan candies are made with a variety of additives and decorated with nuts, candied berries, icing and chocolate.

An unusual and delicious rhubarb pie is also very popular in Estonia - you can order it in almost any cafe. Also among the national desserts are jelly (served with cold milk or cream), a variety of pastries (including Christmas spiced “piparkook” cookies), and berry soups.

Unlike national dishes, Estonian drinks are better known to the average resident of Russia. Perhaps the most famous liqueur is “Vana Tallin” (Old Tallinn), which is made from rum. Oddly enough, this drink is relatively young - its composition was invented in 1962. Today, several varieties of liqueur are produced, including blackcurrant and cream, which have a lower strength.

Various drinks based on milk and yogurt, compotes, kvass and beer are still popular among Estonians themselves. In Tallinn, for example, there are several private breweries at restaurants where you can try unusual types of foamy drink. Beer connoisseurs can try beer with juniper, honey or fruit. It is worth noting that Estonian beer is generally weak and is perfect for cooling off in the summer heat.

In winter, especially during the Christmas holidays, the local version of mulled wine - höegwein, which is warmed red wine with spices, becomes extremely popular.

Among Estonian soups- meat, vegetable and cereal, flour, fish and dairy - dairy occupy a very special place, since they differ from soups of this type in other national cuisines both in the composition of the products included in them and in the variety of types. Milk soups should be considered the most characteristic and most original of the first dishes of Estonian cuisine. That is why we list only milk soups among the first Estonian dishes, eight types: milk-cereal, milk-dough (dumpling), milk-vegetable, milk-fish, milk-mushroom, milk-egg, milk-pea and milk-milk , i.e. being a combination of milk and other dairy products (colostrum, cream, sour cream). There are also intermediate types of milk soups - cereal-vegetable milk, cereal-dough milk, there are variations of soups with milk from dry and fresh vegetables - in total, you can count more than a dozen milk soups in Estonian cuisine.
At the same time, their technology is extremely simple. The simplest and most common are dumpling soups (klimpisuppi).
They are obtained by simply boiling the dumplings in milk.
For other types of milk soups (vegetable, cereal, fish), it is characteristic that the components included in them are initially boiled in water, and milk is added to these soups only at the very end of preparation and quickly brought to a boil. This technique significantly improves the taste of milk soups.
Milk-egg, milk-beer and milk-milk soups are prepared using a different technology.
Their non-dairy part is first prepared separately (whipped, mashed, etc.), and then poured into hot and boiling milk, stirring continuously. At the same time, such soups are not brought to a boil again.
Milk dumpling soup
2 liters of milk
1 tbsp. spoon of butter salt and sugar to taste
Dumplings are usually prepared from semolina or wheat, barley, buckwheat flour, eggs, butter and milk. Sometimes potatoes are also added to dumpling soup. The most typical types of dumplings in Estonian cuisine and their proportions for milk soups are as follows (per 2 liters of milk):
Option I
1 cup buckwheat flour
0.5 cups milk
2 eggs
3 tbsp. spoons of butter
Option II
1 cup semolina
1 glass of milk
1 egg
1 tbsp. spoon of wheat flour
1.5 tbsp. spoons of butter
Mix all the ingredients, boil the milk and drop small dumplings into it with a teaspoon.
Milk and cereal soup
0.75 cups barley
4-5 potatoes
1.5 l milk
1 tbsp. spoon of butter
0.5-0.75 l water
Boil the cereal in water until half cooked, add the potatoes and cook until tender, then pour in the milk, bring to a boil, add salt and butter.
Milk-vegetable soup (cabbage)
2 liters of milk
0.5 l water
0.5 heads of cabbage
2-3 carrots
6-7 potatoes
1 parsley (root)
1 tbsp. spoon of butter
1-2 teaspoons dill
1 tbsp. spoon of flour
Cut the cabbage and carrots into cubes, simmer in water until half cooked, add salt, add diced potatoes and parsley and boil until all the vegetables are cooked.
Dilute flour in cold milk, pour it into the almost finished vegetable grounds, bring to a boil, then season with oil and dill.
Milk-vegetable soup (rutabaga)
0.5-0.75 l water
2 liters of milk
0.5 cups buckwheat or pearl barley
1 rutabaga
5 potatoes
2-3 tbsp. spoons of butter
2 teaspoons dill
0.5 tsp cumin
Boil the cereal in water until half cooked, add diced rutabaga, add salt and, after boiling for about 10 minutes, add potatoes, caraway seeds and cook until the vegetables are ready and the water has almost completely evaporated. Then pour in the milk, bring to a boil, add butter and dill.
Milk-fish soup
1.25 l water 1 l milk
1 - 1.5 kg cod (fillet)
1 half-liter jar peeled and chopped potatoes
1 onion
2 tbsp. spoons of butter
1 tbsp. spoon of flour
1 tbsp. spoon of finely chopped dill
1 parsley root
Boil the fish in boiling water for no more than 10 minutes, then remove. Put potatoes, finely chopped onion, parsley into the broth, add salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes, then pour in the milk, having previously diluted the flour in it, and continue to cook, stirring, until the potatoes are ready, then add the previously removed fish fillet, add dill , oil and heat for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat, close with a lid and let stand for 3-5 minutes.
Milk and egg soup
2 liters of milk
3 eggs
0.5 cups sour cream
Boil the milk and pour in the eggs and sour cream (previously thoroughly beaten until smooth), stirring all the time, then add salt and heat slightly over very low heat, without bringing to a boil, stirring continuously (the eggs will not curdle).
milk pea soup
Option I
1.5 cups dry peas
2 liters of water
1 liter of milk
4-6 tbsp. spoons of buckwheat
3-4 tbsp. spoons of butter
Option II
1.5 cups soaked peas
0.5 cups buckwheat
0.5-0.75 l water
1.5 l milk
Boil the peas in water until soft along with the cereal, adding it a little later. Then add milk, boil, salt and butter. Each version of pea soup has its own taste.
Milk and mushroom soup
1 liter of water or meat broth
2 liters of milk
1 half-liter jar of peeled fresh mushrooms
7-8 potatoes
3 tbsp. spoons of butter
1 onion
2 tbsp. spoons of dill
Boil sliced ​​potatoes in broth. Fry the mushrooms with onions and butter until almost done and add to the broth, simmer for 7-10 minutes.
Add milk, bring to a boil, add salt and sprinkle with dill.
Milk and cream soup
2 liters of milk
0.5 l yogurt
0.5 cups cream
5 eggs
3 tbsp. spoons of honey or sugar
salt
Boil the milk. Grind the eggs with honey (sugar), dilute them in yogurt, beat the whole mixture and gradually pour it, stirring, into the hot milk, then add salt and pour in the cream.
Eat the soup hot.